Keepin' it classy
The Breastaurant invasion bounces along: From Bone Daddy's to Bikinis, they allwant a piece of Houston
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 MacDonald 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."