Breastaurant

Breastaurants are restaurants that employ skimpily-dressed female waiting staff. The term dates from the early 1990s, after restaurant chain Hooters opened in the United States.[1] The format has since been adopted by other restaurants, including Redneck Heaven, Tilted Kilt Pub & Eatery, Twin Peaks, Bombshells, Bone Daddy's, Ojos Locos, Chula's, Bikinis Sports Bar & Grill, Racks, Show-Me's, Mugs & Jugs, and The WingHouse Bar & Grill.[2][3]

Waitress at Bikinis Sports Bar & Grill (Austin, 2008)

These restaurants often use a sexual double-entendre brand name and may also have appropriate themes, both in decoration and menu. The restaurants may offer perks for customers, such as alcohol and flirty servers.[4]

History
A waitress at Twin Peaks washes a customer's car (Austin, 2012)
A Hooters employee in Singapore, 2008

Hooters is credited as the first breastaurant, having operated since 1983. Other companies soon adopted the format.[5] According to food industry research firm Technomic, the top three breastaurant chains in the United States after Hooters each had sales growth of 30% or more in 2011.

In October 2012, Bikinis Sports Bar & Grill successfully registered the term "breastaurant" as a trademark with the United States Patent and Trademark Office; but as of May 24, 2019 the trademark lapsed under section 8, "Continued use not filed within Grace Period".[6] Bikinis Sports Bar & Grill had closed its last restaurant on December 23, 2018.[7]

Male variations

Restaurants staffed by males, with a similar focus on server appearance include Tallywackers, featuring scantily clad men, which opened in Dallas, Texas, in May 2015 and closed in August 2016.[8][9] In Japan, there are establishments such as Macho Cafe[10] and Macho Meat Shop,[11] where brawny men serve food and drinks.

Criticism

Breastaurants have been criticized for objectifying women.[12]

See also

References
  1. Mikin, Mark (2011-06-27). "Hostess of the Week, 'Breastaurant' Edition". Retrieved 2012-06-28.
  2. The Week's Editorial Staff (2012-06-26). "The 'breastaurant' boom: Why Hooters knockoffs are thriving". Retrieved 2012-06-28.
  3. "Breastaurant Boom: Hooters-style eateries experience a mini-boom". Fox News.
  4. Doctorow, Cory (2011-06-08). ""Breastaurants" are Hooters 2.0". Retrieved 2012-06-28.
  5. "'Breastaurants' with 'view' booming in struggling US dining industry". The Indian Express. June 27, 2012. Retrieved June 27, 2019.
  6. "Breastaurant Trademark Information". Trademarkia. Retrieved June 27, 2019.
  7. Dinges, Gary (December 13, 2018). "'Breastaurant' chain Bikini's shuttering last remaining location, rolling out new concept". Austin American-Statesman. Retrieved June 27, 2019.
  8. "Tallywackers, Dallas' male Hooters, has closed | GuideLive". GuideLive. 2016-08-10. Retrieved 2017-05-13.
  9. Peter Holley (2 June 2015). "There's finally a Hooters-style restaurant featuring men. It's called Tallywackers". Washington Post.
  10. Brian Ashcraft. "Japan's Macho Cafe Is Like Hooters in Reverse". Kotaku. Gawker Media.
  11. Brian Ashcraft. "Japan's Macho Restaurant Serves Up Real Beefcakes". Kotaku. Gawker Media.
  12. Saxena, Jaya (19 June 2018). "Is There a Place for Hooters in 2018?". Retrieved 18 September 2018.
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