An owl appears in the Hooters restaurant logo.
The bird is commonly identified as “Hootie the Owl,” a visual pun on the restaurant’s name and the hooting call associated with owls. The logo shows the owl’s face with large eyes, making it one of the most recognizable elements of the chain’s branding.
Hooters opened its first restaurant in Clearwater, Florida, in 1983. Its menu became especially associated with chicken wings, along with burgers, seafood, sandwiches, and a full bar at many locations. The owl is not meant to represent a pelican, rooster, or eagle; those birds do not fit the brand’s name-based wordplay.
The term “Hooters” itself has a double meaning in American English: it can refer to an owl’s calls and is also slang for breasts. That dual meaning is part of the chain’s deliberately provocative branding. The logo appears on restaurant signage, merchandise, and the uniforms traditionally worn by Hooters Girls.