Hooters of America, which entered Chapter 11 protection in March after years of sliding sales, has drawn a rescue proposal from longtime franchisee and Florida lawyer Neil Kiefer. The 73-year-old is asking a Dallas bankruptcy court to let him assume control of roughly 50 closed restaurants and the chain’s management company in an effort to revive the brand he describes as “delightfully tacky.” Kiefer’s turnaround blueprint includes spending about $300,000 per outlet to update décor, menus and kitchen equipment while restoring the chain’s signature but less revealing orange shorts. He says the move away from the recent bikini-style bottoms—promising “no butt cheeks hanging out”—is aimed at recasting Hooters as a family-friendly destination without abandoning its flirtatious roots. The plan also calls for coating more than 70% of dishes in Grade-A butter to distinguish the casual-dining menu. Hooters reached peak system-wide sales of $1.2 billion in 2009 but has struggled to stay culturally relevant against competitors such as Chili’s and Twin Peaks. Same-store sales at Kiefer’s existing franchises are down about 2% from a year ago, underscoring the challenge. A ruling on his bid is expected in the coming weeks; if approved, it would mark the most significant effort yet to “re-Hooterize” the beleaguered chain.