NEW YORK (AP) -- The 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. These 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 (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.
The 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 percent of the nation's top restaurants, but the
upstart chains are benefitting 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.
"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.
"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, according to Technomic. 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.
Tilted 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.
"Going to a restaurant should be an experience," Dimov says. "We're entertainers."
Although the name might suggest otherwise, the
owner of Mugs N Jugs in Clearwater, Fla., says his place also is like
any ordinary restaurant with entertainment. Sam Ahmad says his game
room, pool table and karaoke are why 40 percent of his customers are
families.
Sales at the restaurant grew to $3 million in
2008, from $700,000 in 1998, Ahmad says, but have since declined because
of the recession. After selling a second location to a franchisee last
year, Ahmad is looking to find others who want to open franchise
locations under the Mugs N Jugs banner.
As for the tank tops and shorts the waitresses
wear, Ahmad says they don't reveal too much. And those photos on the
Mugs N Jugs website showing waitresses leaning over a pool table? Ahmad
explains they are purely for marketing purposes.
"They're at an angle because they're at a pool
table," he says. "When you're in the restaurant, you won't see that.
She'll be standing."
Taking a cue from its much smaller rivals, Hooters is also making changes.
The company opened its first location in 1983
in Clearwater, Fla., with waitresses sporting the now famous tiny orange
shorts and tight white tank tops. The chain grew rapidly at first but
has struggled in recent years. Sales have fallen steadily since peaking
in 2007 at $960 million, as the menu and decor grew stale.
Last year, a group of private investors bought
the chain of 365 restaurants and decided to try to revive the business.
In February, Hooters opened a renovated location in Atlanta to showcase
its new look with upgraded TVs, an outdoor bar and a covered patio.
Remodeling is slated for another six to eight restaurants this year.
In April, Hooters also beefed up its menu with
items that include a Baja burger, buffalo chicken sliders and a spinach
and shrimp salad. The idea is to offer dishes that draw new customers,
says David Henninger, Hooters' chief marketing officer. Currently, more
than three quarters of Hooters customers are male, with an average age
of 45.
As part of the effort to improve its image,
Henninger says Hooters is looking to showcase the life stories of its
servers, many of whom are studying to go on to professional careers.
"The public can be misinformed about what we do," says Henninger, who was hired this year. "They jump to their own conclusions."
Without explaining how, he says the "curious"
name of the restaurant could easily be misinterpreted. He says that the
name is "part of the fun" and is about being "in on the joke."
No matter how hard they try to open their doors
to a broader audience, Hooters and its rivals remain the subject of
criticism. "If it's an adult entertainment business, that's fine," says
Mona Lisa Wallace, president of the San Francisco chapter of the
National Organization for Women. "Where they're crossing the line is
when they expose young children to the objectification of women."
Not every chain is defensive about the reputation of breastaurants.
At Twin Peaks, based in Addison, Texas, sales
last year grew 35 percent to $44 million from the previous year,
according to Technomic. Owner DeWitt touts the 22-restaurant chain's
amenities but is under no illusions about the main attraction.
Waitresses, for instance, vary their costumes
for special occasions. Around the holidays, servers dress up like
Santa's little helpers. Around Easter, they dress up like bunnies.
The owner of Tilted Kilt is just as frank. "We hire only spectacular talent," Lynch said. "They have to fit into that costume."
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