Duolingo posts signage of its owl at 4 shuttered Hooters restaurants

Duolingo has placed signage over a closed Hooters restaurant in St. Louis, Missouri, as of Dec. 9, 2025.

Duolingo is back at its antics, this time taking over spaces formerly occupied by another owl mascot.

Duolingo, a language-learning platform, has posted "coming soon" banners on four shuttered Hooters restaurants across the country. The brand has not indicated its plans for the closed restaurants, but residents have taken to social media to share their guesses.

"Duo has always had a flair for drama. When he spotted empty nests around the country, he did what any overly ambitious owl might do: Leave a few feathers and see who noticed," the brand said in a statement obtained by USA TODAY. "Learning can show up in unexpected places, and sometimes so can Duo."

Though unconfirmed, some social media users speculate that the signage could be for an expansion of Duo's Taqueria, a Mexican restaurant owned by Duolingo in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The restaurant, located conveniently near Duolingo's headquarters, opened in 2023 and has been popular in the community, appearing on several Pittsburgh listicles for the best tacos in the city.

'From Hooters to tutors': Social media weighs in

Others, though have just joined in on the Duolingo fun.

"From Hooters to tutors," one Reddit user said in the Galveston, Texas sub-Reddit.

"Next time Hooter's won't forget to complete their daily lesson," another user said in the St. Louis sub-Reddit.

The Hooters installations feel like an ode to a year full of memes from the brand.

In February, Duolingo scared some users by teasing that the iconic Duo the Owl mascot has mysteriously died, but within a week, the brand admitted the death was a joke. The prank served as a global campaign to pit different countries against one another to see which could earn the most in-app points to save Duo.

This summer, Hooters closed more than 30 locations in a dozen states. The closures came after Hooters agreed to sell its 151 company-owned locations to a franchise group in attempt to address its $376 million in debt. Despite the company saying it has plans to keep doors open, the chain has been closing locations since at least 2024.

Where is Duolingo taking over closed Hooters?

Temporary Duolingo installations have been set up in the following locations, as confirmed by the brand in the statement obtained by USA TODAY: