Coby G. Brooks (born May 17, 1969) is the former President & CEO of Hooters, Inc. and Naturally Fresh, Inc.[1] He is the son of Hooters creator Robert H. Brooks. Brooks was promoted to his current position upon his father's retirement in 2003. After his father's death, Brooks gained a controlling, but not a majority, interest in his father's companies, and he became 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.[1][2][3]Brooks resigned as the CEO of Hooters of America July 15, 2011, which ended the Brooks family control with the franchise. He is now part of an investment group with the Dallas, TX based Twin Peaks restaurants since August 23, 2011 with former top Hooters executives.[4]
On February 14, 2010, Coby appeared on an episode of the CBS reality TV show Undercover Boss.