'Breastaurant' Growth Shows No Sign Of Stopping

"Breastaurants," the term used to describe restaurants that feature scantily-clad women as waitresses, are poised to become one of the fastest-growing restaurant categories, according to Entrepreneur magazine. Although it is hard to tell exactly how much these restaurants gross since they are lumped into the more general casual dining category, Hooters sales now net about $1 billion annually, after increasing from the past few years.

Hooters is probably the most familiar breastaurant, but there are several other chains nipping at its heels, all offering their own spin on push-up tops and tight bottoms. Celtic-themed sports bar Tilted Kilt Pub & Eatery CEO Ron Lynch explains his chain's concept to Entrepreneur, "We sell on sex appeal, but we are sexy classy, sexy smart or sexy cute. Not sexy stupid or sexy trashy." Randy DeWitt of the Twin Peaks chain feels similarly (restaurant name notwithstanding?), explaining that Twin Peaks has much better quality food and more "finished" uniforms for the girls.

Lynch's crew practices "'touchology," which isn't quite as dirty as it sounds. His waitresses touch the table often to make the guests feel welcome. DeWitt echoes Lynch's service philosophy; his regulars are greeted by name and often request specific waitresses, also by name.

For all you ever want to know about breastaurants, Business Insider has an in-depth slideshow of the many iterations. Other breastaurant chains include Mugs 'N Jugs, Bone Daddy's House of Smoke, Brick House Tavern + Tap, Burger Girl and The Honey Shack.

No wonder eighth graders dine there.

Comments

[Dede Eagleburger]

03:03 PM on 07/20/2011

"Breastaurant"? wow that's a new one...lol

[twigtrigtrack]

09:17 PM on 07/18/2011

how 'bout a good ol' fashioned strip joint? this breastaurant nonsense is the equivalent of picking up a Maxim when you're too embarrassed to go for the Penthouse...grow a pair, fellas

[TheWM]

11:39 AM on 06/18/2011

I wonder whether a chain which is actually called "Breastaurant" will open up.

I was about to add: "I mean, who's fooling anybody here?" But maybe there is a lot of self-deception and rechanneled frustration going on here, and not just on the part of the customers.

[Sean777]

07:30 PM on 06/10/2011

To all those ultra puritan comments: some people go to restaurants just for the food but most people want entertainment as well so you might want to go to a themed restaurant once in awhile, say you like animatronics animals you go to the Rainforest Café or you are in for Musicians Memorabilia you go to the Hard Rock Café. At the end it is important to have options and beautiful waitress as part of all the possible themed restaurants scenarios should be welcome as well. Just consider these girls as entertainers, they are not only waitresses but marketing assets of these particular businesses and they have the opportunity to get more money in tips because they have to put on the appearance requirements which involves an extra effort and personal investment (Gym, Cosmetics, Beauty treatments, etc.) to satisfy the intended demand for that kind of restaurant entertainment. Like Victoria Secret models, these restaurant workers get paid to aid into a marketing appeal set up by a particular business model which is sensual in nature but it is not sexually offensive by US legal standards. The same way most people would find a Victory Secret lingerie fashion show not to be degrading for women, waitressing in a sexy outfit is not degrading at all. Feminists complaining about Breastaurants are really hurting their own cause by damaging the image of these restaurant workers because it shouldn’t be discreditable having “hooters” or “Twin Peaks” as work experience on their resumes.

[c kado]

05:04 PM on 06/10/2011

Well,I find the Idea of half naked women dancing around for my money offensive

The giving them money part I mean.Boobs should be free

[Miel Mani]

12:47 PM on 06/10/2011

Jamie Schler, Hoffpost blogger is absolute right: " if the food is good and the ambiance appropriat­e (slow, steady and refined or bustling and lively depending upon the establishm­ent) then the restaurant has no problem filling tables and no need of cheap gimmicks or the degradatio­n of women." I don't know which is worse: the women who have such low-self esteem that they fall for working in places like these or the men whose self-esteem is so low that they get off on this "cheap gimmick and degradation of women." These restaurants are merely relying on the world's oldest professions to sell a product/service. How sad that they can't show a little more creativity.

[samba2623]

05:37 AM on 06/10/2011

The food at Hooters is good/edible but not great. People definitely go to "Breastaurants" for something else...

[SteveDenver]

04:50 AM on 06/10/2011

Hey restaurauteers: whatcha got for us gay guys and straight women? How about the Beefcake Factory or ???

[urbanrocker]

05:11 AM on 06/10/2011

Oh sweet jesus PLEASE let someone get wind of that idea soon.

Beefcake Factory? Yes please!

[samba2623]

05:28 AM on 06/10/2011

Republicans and religious people would protest against that for sure.

[Artos]

11:17 AM on 06/10/2011

Got news for you, it's a lot of the Republican types who frequent these places. Did you not note that a good quantity of them are in Southern States. They made a point of mentioning Texas being riddled with them. These are the most Conservative parts of the Country, and the part that likes to label itself the Bible Belt of America. Don't you think it kind of ironic? With such a high preponderance of Conservatives down there, you can't tell me that the only ones frequenting these places are Liberals. I have always said the Southern male will put their women on a pedestal for the simple reason that it makes it easier to look up their dresses.

[Hypnos Rises]

08:05 PM on 06/09/2011

You all should check out the " Dr. Manhattan" (from The Watchmen) inspired restaurants.
Warning: when they offer to stir your coffee just ask for a spoon.

[CommonCents23]

05:03 PM on 06/09/2011

Growth is happening lots of places; especially when I go to these restaurants.

[urbanrocker]

05:11 AM on 06/10/2011

LOL ^_^

[GerryS]

07:53 PM on 06/08/2011

LOL-
"brestaurants"-----------

[hauruck]

07:16 PM on 06/08/2011

Much as I enjoy a well-turned tater-in-a-hammock, that's NOT what I go to a restaurant for, regardless of whether my wife is with me or not. Decent food, decent prices, and decent service are all I ask for...I don't care of the waitperson is the illegitimate offspring of John Merrick, as long as he or she gets my order right.

[StephenJK]

02:33 AM on 06/10/2011

OK, Capt So Serious.

[Artos]

11:20 AM on 06/10/2011

   You and me both. What surprises me, but shouldn't is that so many young women are inclined to participate in this. I guess this is what it all boils down to when a society goes to hell in a hand basket, people start sinking to any level in order to survive.

[sillyblueness]

11:45 AM on 06/10/2011

It is no wonder women participate! Job prospects and pay are terrible, and many of us have been taught from a very early age that acceptance in this world comes from being sexy to men. Heck, they make string bikinis for baby girls!

[GuiltyUndertaker]

10:27 AM on 06/08/2011

"What I want's not on the menu"

[420]

08:45 AM on 06/08/2011

I am a guy. What gets me about these establishments, for a country that is so anti premarital sex, or sex for anything but having babies, you get a bunch of guys hot and sweaty. And we wonder why we have infidelity.
What gets me more are my so called moralistic friends who cry at church, who love God and family so much, yet can not wait to go to a strip bar with a pocket full of dollar bills or a place like this. This country is obsessed with sex....

[IrieMoon]

09:17 AM on 06/08/2011

Too true! So many will deny it but we're exposed to sex at a young age and then told that it's bad unless you're married and heterosexual.

[intellifran]

12:42 PM on 06/08/2011

There is a story in the Bible that basically says those is sing the loudest in church are the biggest sinners. I don't mind these chains (if they have good food) but I would commit murder if I found my fiance spending our money on strippers (other than his bachelor party, he has consent for them for 1 day).

[Jamie Schler]

08:24 AM on 06/08/2011

I am wondering if this is a uniquely American concept? Eat in most restaurants in Europe (well, in my experience) and one finds waiters and waitresses of all ages and all looks, often in the most bland and classic of uniform, and in many well-known bistrots, brasseries and tea salons one usually finds waiters and waitresses who have been working there since the joint opened so they could be in their 40s, 50, 60s - and if the food is good and the ambiance appropriate (slow, steady and refined or bustling and lively depending upon the establishment) then the restaurant has no problem filling tables and no need of cheap gimmicks or the degradation of women. Servers are expected to be discreet and efficient, not overly friendly to the point of intrusive and certainly not touching anything!

[onionboy]

03:26 PM on 06/08/2011

It's not uniquely American. You can find the same sorts of things in Asia too. Maybe not Hooters, but the cultural equivalent, hot women serving food and drinks to men.

[StephenJK]

02:34 AM on 06/10/2011

Especially Japan.

[Artos]

11:31 AM on 06/10/2011

 IT's true, but these Asian countries have also had a history of treating their women as chattel. Apparently America isn't as enlightened as we have tried to pass ourselves off as.

[Konnie]

05:12 PM on 06/08/2011

yes, it is. - because thanks to the puritanical religeous upbringing - the sexual maturity of american men are stunted at about the age of 9. it's same reason we have sexual scandals, intolerance of
gays, and still can't say the real names of body parts to their own children.............