Coby G. Brooks

Who is Coby G. Brooks?

Coby G. Brooks is the former President and CEO of Hooters, Inc. and Naturally Fresh, Inc. Brooks was promoted to these positions in 2003 upon the death of his father, Hooters founder Robert H. Brooks.

After his father's death, Brooks gained a controlling, but not a majority, interest in his father's companies and named chairman of his father's estate. This left him embroiled in a dispute with his father's widow, Tami, over the distribution of the elder Brooks' estate. Robert Brooks left 30% of his estate to Coby, 30% to his underage daughter, Boni Bell, 10% to Clemson University, and 30% to other family members. Tami was bequeathed $1 million per year for 20 years. However, she sued the estate for the ⅓ share of the estate that would be due to her under South Carolina's elective share law. In 2009, Coby and Tami settled for an undisclosed amount, but that settlement has forced Coby to seek outside investors.

Brooks appeared on the February 14, 2010, episode of the CBS reality TV show Undercover Boss featuring Hooters. Brooks left Hooters after the sale of the company in 2011 and is now a franchisee of Twin Peaks, another "breastaurant" chain.