Hooters And Chase Elliot Just Launched A Virtual Chicken Tender Restaurant

Have you noticed more restaurant options while scrolling through food delivery apps? Although you might not realize it, some of these restaurants could be virtual food brands without a dine-in location. There are a few reasons why virtual food brands have grown in popularity, and even well-established chains are hopping on this trend. For example, GrubHub and "MasterChef" have teamed up on a virtual restaurant that serves dishes from contestants, and Wendy's opened up an online restaurant in the Metaverse.

The latest announcement comes from Hooters, but this isn't the chain's first foray into the virtual restaurant industry. According to Nation's Restaurant News, Hooters was rolling out virtual brands even before the COVID-19 pandemic, and worked with UberEats to create Hootie's Burger Bar. Other virtual restaurants owned by Hooters include Hootie's Bait & Tackle, which is seafood focused, and Hootie's Chicken Tenders. 

Now, Hooters is partnering with NASCAR racer Chase Elliot to debut a virtual restaurant that offers even more chicken tenders (per Business Wire).

As you might guess, chicken is the main star of Hooters' latest virtual restaurant, Chase Elliot's Chicken Tenders. According to the press release, the menu features chicken tenders that are paired with 14 different sauces, along with bleu cheese and ranch for your dipping pleasure (per Business Wire). Besides tenders, customers can also order boneless wings and chicken sandwiches, and choices for sides include waffle fries, tater tots, fried pickles, and mozzarella sticks.

You might associate Hooters with chicken wings, but this virtual restaurant aims to bring in new customers and racing fans, and highlight other menu options. Marc Butler, senior vice president of strategic planning/off premise, said, "Hooters is very well known for our great wings, but awareness is lower for other menu segments such as tenders, burgers and seafood" (via Business Wire).

If you do plan to order delivery from Hooters' latest virtual restaurant, you can order through DoorDash, GrubHub, and UberEats. And be sure to learn how to properly reheat your chicken tenders, so you can enjoy leftovers or eat your dinner extra-hot.