Hooters In Healdsburg? Not So Fast...

HEALDSBURG, CA —When Rite Aid closed the doors on the ailing store on Healdsburg Avenue late last year, Healdsburg residents were quick to fill a wish list of future businesses, topped by Trader Joe's.

So neighbors who noticed an unusual orange-and-black sign posted outside the low-slung empty store were eager to find out which tenant would be filling the hull, which had been empty since late summer 2025.

"Coming Soon to Healdsburg Spring 2026," read the sign. Surprise turned to shock at what else was on the sign: an owl icon in the signature style and color of Hooters, the sports bar known for dressing waitresses in tight shirts and shorts. An owl is the chain's emblem. "Really??? In Healdsburg???" one man wrote on NexDoor.

While there is a Hooters in Rohnert Park, Healdsburg officials confirmed that this Hooters was a hoax. With the sign now removed, the incident has sparked yet another round of debate over what should take the place at 525 Healdsburg Ave. No takers have yet been found.

"While there are active rumors and ideas for what might end up in that building, the City has received no building permits or other indications that a new tenant is coming soon," Healdsburg spokesman Ray Holley said. He said the city is in contact with the building owner, who is anxious to find a new tenant.

As to the recent signage referring to a new tenant (Hooters), Holley called it “a clever prank, nothing real." This was not an isolated incident. The same prank happened at a Whole Foods in Mill Valley, according to reports. A sign in the parking lot announced that a new tenant was on the way: “Mill Valley proudly welcomes Hooters,” it said. What’s more, “Kids eat free on Sundays!”

An orange-and-black sign on the empty Rite Aid building promising a Spring 2026 Hooters opening— including the chain’s unmistakable owl—set off a flurry of worry, before neighbors confirmed the buzzworthy “tenant” was nothing more than a hoax.

A 2024 report shows a design concept for the former Rite Aid building in a small shopping center occupied by a Kragan's and thrift store, where the downtown transitions to residential zones.