Rarity: So-called breastaraunts like Twin Peaks, four waitresses pictured, are staying in top shape despite an overall decline in restaurant salesThe waitresses at Twin Peaks wear skimpy plaid tops that accentuate their chests.
In case you didn't catch the joke, the chain's logo is an image of two pointy, snow-capped mountains. And the sports bar doesn't stop there: It promises 'scenic views.'
Twin Peaks owner Randy DeWitt downplays all of that and insists that the appeal of the restaurant goes beyond the obvious. Hearty meals and a focus on making customers feel special, he says, are what really keeps them coming back. 'We believe in feeding the ego before feeding the stomach,' he says. Or as the website of the mountain lodge-themed restaurant states: 'Twin Peaks is about you, `cause you're the man!' Twin Peaks is part of a booming niche in the beleaguered restaurant industry known as 'breastaurants,' or sports bars that feature scantily clad waitresses.
Big appetite: The sports bar that features scantily clad waitresses says it believes in feeding the ego before feeding the stomachThese small chains operate in the tradition of Hooters, which pioneered the concept in the 1980s but has struggled in recent years to stay fresh.
Instead of relying on lust alone, the new crop of restaurants is growing by offering new themes (think: rustic lodges and Celtic pubs) and varied menus (think: pot roast and shepherd's pie instead of just burgers and wings). In other words, they're hoping maybe people really are coming in for the food.
Trail setters: Following the trail blazed by Hooters, Twin Peaks and other similar restaurants have been the only type to show an increase in sales latelyThe nation's top three 'breastaurant' chains behind Hooters each had sales growth of 30 percent or more last year, according to Technomic, a food industry research firm. They still represent less than 1 per cent of the nation's top restaurants, but the upstart chains are benefiting as other mid-priced options like Applebee's and Bennigan's have experienced declines during the economic downturn.
'The younger crowds want to go to a newer place, not where mom and dad took them,' says Darren Tristano, an analyst at Technomic.
Tovan Adams says he frequents Tilted Kilt Pub & Eatery in Tempe, Ariz., where waitresses wear matching tartan mini-skirts and bras that fit in with the restaurant's Celtic theme. He even brings his daughters, ages 6 and 9, with him for lunch.
Uniform: Hooters opened its first location in 1983 in Florida, putting its waitresses, four pictured, in tiny orange shorts and tight white tank tops'If you come in the evening, you'll see a lot of kids here,' says Adams, an electric engineer who likes the menu's variety. 'Everyone's still got their clothes on. If you go to the beach, it's a lot worse than being here.'
Lynette Marmolejo, a college admissions worker, dropped in at the Tilted Kilt for the first time recently. She likes that the restaurant is dominated by the 'corporate crowd' rather than the 'college crowd.' And she says the half-dressed waitresses don't bother her.
Dinner and a show: The restaurants are focusing not just on their food, though some have begun diversifying their menu, but a show as well'Prices and the food -- if those are good, I don't care what anybody's wearing,' Marmolejo says.
Tilted Kilt, which serves dishes such as shepherd's pie and 'Irish nachos' (potato chips instead of corn tortillas), had annual sales of $124 million last year, reflecting growth of 33 percent. And by the end of this year, the company expects to have 95 locations, up from 57 at the end of last year.
That growth is one reason Tilted Kilt CEO Rod Lynch, bristles at the 'breastaurant' moniker. He says the word implies that the company's success is based purely on sex appeal. To the contrary, he says his customers -- about three-quarters of whom are men and of the average age of 36 -- consistently say the experience is about far more.
Declining: Mid-priced restaurant options like Applebee's and Bennigan's have experienced declines during the economic downturnTilted Kilt doesn't go so far to call itself a family restaurant. But Lynch understands the risks of crossing a certain line.
'We want to be very PG-13,' he says. Its 'class in all things' motto also means servers can't have tattoos, piercings or dyed hair.
Rose Dimov, a 22-year-old waitress at Tilted Kilt, says her job is no different from any other waitressing gig; make guests feel special and ensure they have a good time. As an aspiring ballroom dancer, she also says she's not fazed by the revealing outfit that comes with the job.
Expanding: Mugs and Jugs, a similar restaurant seen in Florida, has also got in on the action that has created currently 365 Hooters restaurants and 22 Twin Peakssource: dailymail
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