Keepin' it classy

The Breastaurant invasion bounces along: From Bone Daddy's to Bikinis, they allwant a piece of Houston

The Austin-based Bikinis Bar and Grill — which touts the tagline "sports with aview" — recently announced it will be taking over a former Tortuga's site in TheWoodlands.

Bikinis Sports Bar and Grill
Bone Daddy’s House of Smoke, based in Addison, plans to open one of itslady-staffed barbeque in Houston by summer.

Bone Daddy's House of Smoke/Facebook
Bikinis entices breastaurant fans a full "scratch kitchen," unlike some of itscompetitors.

Bikinis Sports Bar and Grill
Bone Daddy's staffers

Bone Daddy's House of Smoke/Facebook
On site at one of the many Bikinis throughout Texas, North Carolina andOklahoma.

Bikinis Sports Bar and Grill
Bikinis

Bikinis Sports Bar and Grill
Bone Daddy's "killer smokehouse barbeque."

Bone Daddy's House of Smoke

As it turns out, some things just never go out of style.

Two Texas-based "breastaurant" chains are looking to the Bayou City to capitalize on the seemingly endless popularity of Hooters, which currently maintains 15 restaurants throughout the region that compete with two branches of its arch-rival Twin Peaks.

The Austin-based Bikinis Bar and Grill — which touts the tagline "sports with a view" — is taking over a former Tortuga's site in The Woodlands along I-45 to launch its first location in the Houston area and 10th overall. Bone Daddy’s House of Smoke, based in Addison, is also planning to open one of its lady-staffed barbecue restaurants in Houston this summer.

So, that's 15, 16, 17 . . . plus two more . . . That's a total of 19 Space City region breastaurants by the end of the year.

"We also take our slogan 'sports with a view' pretty serious here," Bikinis general manager Danny Mac Donald says. "You can expect high-definition televisions everywhere along with all of our beautiful girls."

"We've actually been looking to get into the Houston market for about four years," Danny MacDonald, general manager of The Woodlands Bikinis, tells CultureMap. "It's taken us a while to find a perfect location like this and we're excited to finally be here."

So, how exactly does Bikinis differ from Twin Peaks or Hooters? MacDonald seemed prepared for what is perhaps the most important question for a breastaurant operator.

The food, he says, is fairly traditional American pub fare with wings and burgers being the menu highlights. The main difference, however, will be the quality of both the food and the service according to MacDonald.

"This is a scratch kitchen, unlike what you'd find at our competitors," he says. "We also take our slogan 'sports with a view' pretty serious here, so you can expect high-definition televisions everywhere along with all of our beautiful girls."

Located at 25657 Interstate 45, the new Bikinis will have a soft opening starting May 10 with an official launch in June. The website notes the location is currently hiring.

Although CultureMap was unable to reach a Bone Daddy's representative about its pending arrival, owner Mike Leatherwood told the Houston Business Journal that for Houston, the restaurant plans on a less forward approach to service.

“With the old uniform, [waitresses] had to tie it up to fit the contours of their body,” he said. “There was just a lot more skin showing. This one is tailored.”

Leatherwood noted that he doesn't appreciate being pigeonholed as a run-of-the-mill breastaurant. “We just don’t like being lumped into that category. It’s demeaning to the girls that work here, and it’s just not what we are committed to.”

"Bone Daddy's is a funky barbeque joint with smoking hot waitresses and ice cold beer — that's the line we use to sum up what we do," says Ted Beaman, Bone Daddy's strategic planning director.

Ted Beaman, who heads strategic planning for Bone Daddy's, tells CultureMap that the Houston area location is planned for Webster. The company is hoping to roll out three more restaurants in the region by the end of 2013.

"Bone Daddy's is a funky barbecue joint with smoking hot waitresses and ice cold beer — that's the line we use to sum up what we do," Beaman says.

"There's always a lot of effort to make each of our buildings unique and the barbeque is from a old family recipe that's been perfected over time. Finally, we always make sure we hire attractive, personable and smart waitresses who will provide excellent service and pay lots of attention to our customers."

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there goes my hero

Trill Burgers partners with popular anime series for limited time collab

Photo by Dylan McEwan

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Calling all heroes! The anime megahit My Hero Academia is celebrating its 10th anniversary, and parent company Toho International has partnered with Houston hip-hop legend and restaurateur Bun B to release exclusive menu items and merchandise related to the series. The superhero sandwich, side, and sip will be available at all Trill Burgers locations starting July 11 through August 9.

“My Hero Academia is one of the most iconic anime of this generation, and working with them has been a thrill for the entire Trill Burgers team,” Trill Burgers co-founder Andy Nguyen said. “We always want to be creative and thoughtful with our collaborations, and to have a partner the caliber of My Hero Academia is a testament to the hard work of the Trill Burgers team, and the dedication of the series’ fans. We can’t wait for people to check out this collaboration.”

“I always get excited about a new Trill Burgers collaboration, and this one is special,” added co-founder Bun B . “I know our Trill Burgers fans will love this, and I hope we make some new fans with this incredible collaboration with My Hero Academia. This is something a little different, and I’m excited to see our guests try out these new Trill Burgers flavors.”

What's on the Menu?

Trill Burgers has created three new My Hero Academia items, all of which are served in containers with graphics celebrating the series. The "One For All Burger" is a cheeseburger with demi-glazed beef gravy, American cheese, cabbage, onion, and an Asian-inspired sesame-citrus dressing to give it that proper anime flavor profile. It can be served served with the standard Trill Burgers seasoned fries or one of the other new offerings.

Trill Burgers My Hero Academia The offerings include a burger, fries, and lemonade.Photo by Quit Nguyen

"Plus Ultra Fries" (named for the anime's school's motto) takes the Trill Burgers signature side and adds a Japanese twist. The fries come with okonomi sauce, mayonnaise, Japanese furikake seasoning, and bonito (dried tuna) flakes.

In addition, Trill Burgers is launching Detroit Smash Lemonade, a neon-green concoction made of lemon, pineapple pieces, slices of mango and a kiwi syrup base. All items will come in speciality packaging. Trill Burgers/My Hero Academia t-shirts will also be for sale.

Fans who want a longer-lasting souvenir can purchase a special T-shirt that celebrates the collaboration. The bright white unisex T-shirts feature the My Hero Academia logo and Trill Burgers branding on the front with My Hero Academia’s Izuku Midoriya (Deku) on the back.

Trill Burgers My Hero Academia Remember the collab with this special T-shirt.Photo by Quit Nguyen

All four items will be available at Trill Burgers' three Houston-area locations in Upper Kirby/Montrose, Spring, and Missouri City.

“I always get excited about a new Trill Burgers collaboration, and this one is special,” Bun B said. “I know our Trill Burgers fans will love this, and I hope we make some new fans with this incredible collaboration with My Hero Academia. This is something a little different, and I’m excited to see our guests try out these new Trill Burgers flavors.”

A Decade of Dazzling Stories

My Hero Academia was first released as a manga in Japan in 2014 written and illustrated by Kōhei Horikoshi. The series takes place in a world where almost the entire population is born with superpowers. A boy named Izuku Midoriya is one of the few "normal" people until the most powerful hero on Earth bequeaths him his abilities. Midoriya then attends a prestigious hero school with other powered people.

The manga was an instant success and was turned into a weekly anime by Toho and studio Bones in 2016. It developed a following in America thanks to Adult Swim's Toonami block, quickly becoming one of the most popular animes in the United States. The series has always had a large connection to Houston thanks to the English dub voice cast, which includes local stars like John Swasey, David Matranga, and Monica Rial. The regular series finished in December 2025, but a special epilogue episode titled "More" was released in May.

Toho acknowledged the support of the series in Houston in an official statement.

“As My Hero Academia celebrates its 10th anniversary, we’re excited to continue to bring the series to fans in new and unexpected ways”, said Kristin Parcell, general manager of Toho International. “We’re proud to once again partner with Trill Burgers, this time bringing the spirit of My Hero Academia into a real-world fan experience rooted in community and culture that has defined the franchise for the past decade.”

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