WINGS, BREASTS AND THIGHS
Jun. 1st, 2012 10:42 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
defrogSpeaking of American restaurants ...
As many of you know, I have something of a love/hate relationship with Hooters.
I’ve never been in one in my life. But I’ve always been both fascinated and annoyed by it – fascinated because it really does serve as a microcosm of uniquely American culture (capitalism, patriotism, fatty food, beer, sports and shallowness in the form of impossibly hot, fun-loving waitresses), and annoyed because Hooters has always steadfastly refused to admit that the main marketing point of the whole chain is “titties” despite the fact that everyone knows.
Anyway, if you know anything about the rise of chain restaurants, success often breeds imitation. And given Hooter’s success, it’s surprising that up to now I haven’t stopped to wonder why more entrepreneurs haven’t tried to run with the sexy-waitress-with-big-tits idea (apart from the business challenges of protests, discrimination accusations and trademark infringement litigation).
Turns out there’s quite a few – so much so that there’s even a business category for them: “breastaurant” (not to be confused with restaurants that cater to moms who want to breastfeed their infants – and we have those too).
Take Twin Peaks, for example (cheers tobedsitter23 for the tip). It has nothing to do with the TV show, but it does feature a sort of Pacific Northwest lumberjack theme.
Observe.
Classy!
According to the Des Moines Register, you can forget about dropping David Lynch references to the waitress – odds are she wasn’t even born when the TV show was broadcast (ouch!). You could probably still ask them to do that trick with the cherry stem, I suppose (in case it’s part of the job interview or something).
Anyway, Twin Peaks is just one example of a not-Hooters chain. There’s also Bone Daddy's House of Smoke, Brick House Tavern + Tap, the Tilted Kilt Pub and Eatery, Burger Girl and The Honey Shack.
Meanwhile, the same concept has also been applied to hair salons and coffee shops.
It’s tempting to chalk it up to the “success breeds imitation” axiom. On the other hand, consider this little factoid from Business Insider:
Which implies a couple of things: (1) guys are more likely to spend money in a downturn if there’s cleavage involved, and (2) tit-themed businesses are one of the biggest employment opportunities for women who also happen to be buxom babes – especially during a recession.
Make of that what you will.
FUN FACT: While Hooters originated in Florida, most of the breastaurant chains listed above have originated in Texas.
Make of that what you will.
More than a mouthful,
This is dF
As many of you know, I have something of a love/hate relationship with Hooters.
I’ve never been in one in my life. But I’ve always been both fascinated and annoyed by it – fascinated because it really does serve as a microcosm of uniquely American culture (capitalism, patriotism, fatty food, beer, sports and shallowness in the form of impossibly hot, fun-loving waitresses), and annoyed because Hooters has always steadfastly refused to admit that the main marketing point of the whole chain is “titties” despite the fact that everyone knows.
Anyway, if you know anything about the rise of chain restaurants, success often breeds imitation. And given Hooter’s success, it’s surprising that up to now I haven’t stopped to wonder why more entrepreneurs haven’t tried to run with the sexy-waitress-with-big-tits idea (apart from the business challenges of protests, discrimination accusations and trademark infringement litigation).
Turns out there’s quite a few – so much so that there’s even a business category for them: “breastaurant” (not to be confused with restaurants that cater to moms who want to breastfeed their infants – and we have those too).
Take Twin Peaks, for example (cheers to
bedsitter23 for the tip). It has nothing to do with the TV show, but it does feature a sort of Pacific Northwest lumberjack theme. Observe.
Classy!
According to the Des Moines Register, you can forget about dropping David Lynch references to the waitress – odds are she wasn’t even born when the TV show was broadcast (ouch!). You could probably still ask them to do that trick with the cherry stem, I suppose (in case it’s part of the job interview or something).
Anyway, Twin Peaks is just one example of a not-Hooters chain. There’s also Bone Daddy's House of Smoke, Brick House Tavern + Tap, the Tilted Kilt Pub and Eatery, Burger Girl and The Honey Shack.
Meanwhile, the same concept has also been applied to hair salons and coffee shops.
It’s tempting to chalk it up to the “success breeds imitation” axiom. On the other hand, consider this little factoid from Business Insider:
Between 2009 and 2010, 5,550 restaurants -- or 1 percent -- closed down nationwide. In 2009, restaurant sales decreased three percent, the worst decline in decades.
Casual-dining restaurants closed down, but breastaurants kept opening and beer sales kept increasing.
Casual-dining restaurants closed down, but breastaurants kept opening and beer sales kept increasing.
Which implies a couple of things: (1) guys are more likely to spend money in a downturn if there’s cleavage involved, and (2) tit-themed businesses are one of the biggest employment opportunities for women who also happen to be buxom babes – especially during a recession.
Make of that what you will.
FUN FACT: While Hooters originated in Florida, most of the breastaurant chains listed above have originated in Texas.
Make of that what you will.
More than a mouthful,
This is dF
