A Cover Worth Celebrating: Mason Hooters’ Sophia Zullo Gets a Big 2027 Surprise

Photos courtesy of Hoot Owl Restaurants LLC

MASON, OH — Sophia Zullo thought she was attending a party to see how her latest Hooters Calendar photos turned out. Instead, the longtime Mason Hooters employee got a much bigger surprise — she is the cover girl for the 2027 Hooters Calendar.

Zullo, 24, is from the Greater Cincinnati area and has worked at the Mason Hooters for four years. This marks her fourth appearance in the annual calendar, but her first time on the front cover. She previously appeared as Miss March 2024, Miss May 2025 and on the back cover of the 2026 calendar. Zullo also recently finished fifth in the Miss Hooters International Pageant.

Before joining Hooters, Zullo was a University of Cincinnati cheerleader and track athlete.

She learned about her latest calendar honor during a Sept. 22 photo reveal party at Hooters Mason, 9890 Escort Drive. Eight employees from Hooters locations throughout the company's Ohio Valley Region attended the event, where they saw their calendar or poster photos for the first time.

The celebration was also open to the community.

“Being on the cover means so much more to me than a photo,” Zullo said. “Behind the glamour and beauty — it represents showing up, hard work, believing in yourself, taking chances and being willing to chase something even when you have no idea where it might take you.”

Zullo said she hopes her experience can encourage others.

“If there’s one thing I hope to give back through all of this, it’s encouragement,” she said.

Mason Hooters Calendar girls Makalee Grimmett and Allie Copas with Sophia Zullo

Other Ohio Valley employees appearing in the 2027 calendar or its pull-out poster include July feature Abbigail Boone of Lexington Hooters; October feature Catherine Craze of Dupont Hooters; Mason employees Makalee Grimmett and Allie Copas; Lexington employees Zoe Smith and Rowan Mumford; and Kaylie Thornsberry of Dupont Hooters.

Ohio Valley employees appearing in the 2027 calendar or its pull-out poster celebrated together at Mason Hooters.

Brooke Richards, marketing director for Hoot Owl Hooters, said the Mason restaurant enjoyed being able to celebrate the women with the local community.

“We are thrilled to have Sophia grace the cover of the calendar,” Richards said.

The 2027 Hooters Calendar is expected to be available by Oct. 15.

The calendar also has a charitable component. One dollar from every calendar sold will go to the Kelly Jo Dowd Breast Cancer Research Fund, benefiting the V Foundation for Cancer Research.

Hoot Owl Restaurants LLC owns and operates 54 Hooters locations across the United States.

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