Breastaurant
A breastaurant is a restaurant that has skimpily-dressed female waiting staff. The term "breastaurant" dates from the early 1990s, around the time that the restaurant chain Hooters became popular in the United States.[1] It has since been applied to other restaurants that offer similar services, such as Redneck Heaven, Tilted Kilt Pub & Eatery, Twin Peaks, Bombshells, Bone Daddy's, Ojos Locos, Bikinis Sports Bar & Grill, Show-Me's, Mugs & Jugs and Heart Attack Grill.[2][3]
The restaurants often have a sexual double-entendre brand name and also offer specific themes, both in decoration and menu. The restaurants offer numerous perks for customers, including alcohol and flirty servers.[4]
History
Hooters is credited as the first breastaurant, having operated since 1983. Other companies soon followed suit.[5] According to food industry research firm Technomic, the United States' top three breastaurant chains behind Hooters each had sales growth of 30 percent or more in 2011. While these upstart chains represent less than 1 per cent of the nation's top restaurants, they are doing better than other mid-priced options like Applebee's and Bennigan's, which have experienced declines during the global recession of 2008.[6]
In October 2012, Bikinis Sports Bar & Grill successfully registered the term "breastaurant" as a trademark with the United States Patent and Trademark Office. [7]
Male variations
Male oriented restaurants with a similar focus on server appearance include Tallywackers, featuring scantily clad men, which opened in Dallas, Texas, in May 2015.[8] In Japan, there are places like Macho Cafe[9] and Macho Meat Shop[10] where buff men serve food and drinks for a limited time.
In fiction
- The Iceberg Lounge/Casino owned by The Penguin (Batman)
- BooBies (Space Dandy)
- Raisins (South Park)
- Knockers (The Simpsons)
- Boobilicious (GCB)
- Bazooms (King of the Hill)
See also
- Bikini barista
- Butlers Café
- Cosplay restaurant
- Host and hostess clubs
- Maid café
- Playboy Club
- Nyotaimori
- Wet T-shirt contest
References
- ^ Mikin, Mark (2011-06-27). "Hostess of the Week, 'Breastaurant' Edition". Retrieved 2012-06-28.
- ^ The Week's Editorial Staff (2012-06-26). "The 'breastaurant' boom: Why Hooters knockoffs are thriving". Retrieved 2012-06-28.
- ^ "Breastaurant Boom: Hooters-style eateries experience a mini-boom". Fox News.
- ^ Doctorow, Cory (2011-06-08). ""Breastaurants" are Hooters 2.0". Retrieved 2012-06-28.
- ^ Agencies (2012-06-27). "'Breastaurants' with 'view' booming in struggling US dining industry". Retrieved 2012-06-28.
- ^ Daily Mail Reporter (2012-06-24). "The breast restaurant guide: How waitresses offering dinner and a tacky 'view' are keeping U.S. diners alive in the recession". Retrieved 2012-06-28.
- ^ Trademarkia (2013-04-24). "USPTO Trademark: Breastaurant". Retrieved 2012-06-28.
- ^ Peter Holley (2 June 2015). "There's finally a Hooters-style restaurant featuring men. It's called Tallywackers". Washington Post.
- ^ Brian Ashcraft. "Japan's Macho Cafe Is Like Hooters in Reverse". Kotaku. Gawker Media.
- ^ Brian Ashcraft. "Japan's Macho Restaurant Serves Up Real Beefcakes". Kotaku. Gawker Media.