How Hooters Air went from a successful airline to a $40 million failure in three years

• Hooters, the restaurant chain known for its hot wings and tank top-wearing servers, operated an airline in the early 2000s.
• You might not have known about it because it didn't last long — about three years in fact.
• Here's how Hooters Air became a successful airline before turning into a $40 million failure.

You might not remember it, but Hooters once had an airline.

The restaurant chain launched an air service in 2003, and onboard every flight were two Hooters servers that helped tend to passengers.

Three years after it launched, however, Hooters Air shut down, but not before the iconic "breastaurant" enjoyed a short period of success in the sky.

We talked to people who worked for Hooters Air — flight attendants and one pilot (who asked to remain anonymous) — as well as a few industry experts to find out what happened. They told us what it was really like to work for the airline, dispelled some common misperceptions about what it was like to fly it, and explained the airline's rapid downfall.

Here's how Hooters Air became a successful airline before turning into a $40 million failure.

SEE ALSO: I flew 14 hours on one of the best airlines in the world that you've probably never heard of — and even its worst seat put other long-haul flights to shame

Hooters has been offering patrons beer and hot wings, among other things, from its chain of restaurants for 35 years now.

The chain's trademark waitresses, clad in orange shorts and tank tops, have helped cement Hooters as the original "breastaurant" of the food industry.

But as popular as the company may be, one fact often forgotten...