What’s that floating down the Ohio River? The Newport Hooters! | Video
The restaurant chain’s Newport spot formerly located on the river at 301 Riverboat Row was transported via barge Aug. 21.
Now that Hooters has officially removed all traces of its floating Newport restaurant, what will happen to the Reds and Bengals game day shuttles that transported fans across the Ohio River?
The national chain suddenly closed more than 30 locations in June after filing for bankruptcy months earlier. In August, the Newport restaurant, previously located on the river at 301 Riverboat Row, was taken via barge to C&B Marine in Hebron to be dismantled.
For over 20 years, Queen City Riverboats in Dayton, Kentucky, has operated ferry services from Hooters and its neighboring bar, The Beer Sellar, to Paycor Stadium and Great American Ball Park for Cincinnati Bengals and Reds games.
While Queen City Riverboats will still offer rides on Bengals game days, sales director Ramsey Deal said the closure has negatively impacted business.
What’s the future of the shuttle service?
The boat tour agency, which previously offered three shuttles on game days, will now operate only one shuttle per game for the Bengals’ 2025 season. They’ve also canceled their Reds game day shuttles.
Deal said Hooters paid Queen City Riverboats to provide the shuttles, since they helped drive sales at the restaurant. Without that deal, the local boating company has had to scale back its service and move its dock farther down the Ohio River.
“We lost a ton of revenue,” Deal said. “We were blindsided by that.”
The company has raised ride prices from $10 to $15 per person. The boats will take off an hour before the game from the Queen City Riverboats dock, located at 100 O’Fallon Ave., in Dayton, Kentucky. The shuttle returns 30 minutes after the game ends.
Deal said Queen City Riverboats has tried to “put pressure” on the city of Newport to find a new docking location closer to the stadium and even offered to build a new dock between the former Hooters spot and the Purple People Bridge. But he said the national chain hasn’t responded to questions about sub-leasing opportunities.
The land is owned by Newport and is leased by Hooters, said Daniel Braun, Campbell County’s property valuation administrator.
Shayna Nevermann, a spokesperson for the city of Newport, said the municipality has received many questions about the site from Queen City Riverboats and other businesses. But Nevermann said the property remains tied up in bankruptcy proceedings and that the city is not legally able to take any action related to the site.
“We value the role Queen City Riverboats has played in connecting our region’s sports fans and visitors, and we remain committed to supporting riverfront vibrancy and connectivity as future opportunities become available,” Nevermann said in a statement.
The Enquirer has reached out to Hooters for a comment.