Is the “Ultimate Man Cave” business model an open invitation for violent misdeeds as well as machismo mischief?
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Twin Peaks is a chain of popular and fast-growing casual eateries-cum-sports bars that promise “eats, drinks, [and] scenic views.” That last selling-point is what sets the restaurant apart; along with the eatery’s pun-based name, it refers to the waitresses who deliver burgers and beers dressed in barely-there khaki shorts, cutoff flannel shirts, and push-up bras. “‘Scenic Views’ means ‘boobs,’” as The New Republic’s recent examination of the chain bluntly noted. The chain’s Waco, Texas franchise—opened in 2014—was also the site of a shootout between multiple biker gangs last weekend, violence which left nine people dead and led to the arrest of 177 individuals.
The breastaurant concept is something of a compromise between the Playboy Clubs that once dotted major American cities in the 1960s and 70s, and the all-day buffet once offered by strip clubs …
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Along with Tilted Kilt, Bikini’s Sports Bar, and—the granddaddy of them all—Hooters, Twin Peaks belongs to a sub-category of casual chain bar-and-grilles that have come to be dubbed “breastaurants” after their propensity to provide their mostly-male clientele views of cleavage along with plates of chicken wings and bottles of Bud Light. The model has been so successful that breastaurants were noted for experiencing steady growth even during the economic downturn that began at the end of 2007.
The breastaurant concept is something of a compromise between the Playboy Clubs that once dotted major American cities in the 1960s and 70s, and the all-day buffet once offered by strip clubs: more working-class and less exclusive than the Playboy Clubs, but more respectable than legs-and-eggs. The modern iteration combining food service with scantily-clad waitresses can be directly traced to the 1983 founding of Hooters in Clearwater, Florida. The chain now boasts of operating “over 430 Hooters locations in 28 countries” and creating a “globally recognized icon” in the white tank-top and tight orange shorts-clad “Hooters Girl.” In 2013, USA Today reported that breastaurants are a $2 billion industry. Twin Peaks is the category’s fastest-growing chain, founded in 2005 with the claim, “Hooters just wasn’t racy enough.” It is now rapidly opening franchises under the guidance of a number of leaders who formerly worked for that primary competitor.
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And nowhere are breastaurants more popular than in Texas. In this informative piece at the Washington Post’s Morning Mix blog, Justin Wm. Moyer has published a Google map of what he calls Texas’ “breastaurant corridor,” a section of Interstate 35 featuring a high density of Twin Peaks and Hooters locations. In it, Moyer notes that Texas features the nation’s highest number of Twin Peaks locations and is second only to Florida in its number of Hooters restaurants. Both Hooters and Twin Peaks have their densest presence in red states, and are most commonly found adjacent to major interstate highways or nearby sunny vacation destinations.
Both the brand strategies presented in Hooter’s “About Us” webpage and the leaked Twin Peaks memo rely on presenting the restaurants as safe-havens from man’s two greatest enemies: the judgment of a Puritanical society (“outside parties with nefarious motives”) and nagging females (those who would “ask what I am thinking”).
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Texas is also home to numerous motorcycle gangs, groups whose growth has been facilitated by the state’s long stretches of highways and warm weather. The immediate cause of this weekend’s violence in Waco seems to be a long-simmering turf war between two of the gangs involved, the Bandidos and the Cossacks. But it is noteworthy that the site of the shooting proved to be a highly-sexualized space that is invested in promoting a specific understanding of manhood.
As the New York Times noted in its report on the shootings, “in an announcement about the restaurant’s opening, Twin Peaks promoted the location as the ‘ultimate man-cave,’ with at least 55 flat-screen televisions and 24 types of beer.” At all Twin Peaks those beers are offered in two sizes, a 10-oz. “girl size” and a larger “man size.” The subtitle of the Twin Peaks website’s “About Us” section quips, “Actually, Twin Peaks is about you, ’cause you’re the man!” The same section of the Hooters website describes the chain as providing “good, old-fashioned fun in a casual atmosphere free from the intervention of outside parties with nefarious motives.”
A recently-leaked internal memo outlining Twin Peaks’s brand strategy describes what the chain identifies as its ideal customer: “I am the man… I believe in freedom, bacon, working hard, and playing harder. I like attention from beautiful girls and being recognized in front of the guys. I got game! I deserve to drink cold beer and watch the game without being asked what I am thinking.”
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Both the brand strategies presented in Hooter’s “About Us” webpage and the leaked Twin Peaks memo rely on presenting the restaurants as safe-havens from man’s two greatest enemies: the judgment of a Puritanical society (“outside parties with nefarious motives”) and nagging females (those who would “ask what I am thinking”). The ill-defined “outside parties” can take the form of any group or institution that would impede the working-class man’s pursuit of pleasure, whether they be the patron’s boss at work, feminists, “the nanny state,” or animal-rights activists.
The biker gangs involved in the Waco shootout were courted to visit Twin Peaks’s weekly “Bike Night” under the implicit promise that the restaurant would not interfere with the bikers’ right to congregate and socialize as they pleased, even in the face of repeated requests from Waco authorities to halt the gatherings.
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The breastaurant model relies on providing a site in which “men can be men,” that is: fulfill the culturally-constructed expectations of a base form of masculinity. This myopic construction of manhood promotes what can be termed “frat-house values,” including the objectification of women, the excessive consumption of alcohol, the promotion of rancorous competition, and the claiming of public space through aggressive and violent means. The biker gangs involved in the Waco shootout were courted to visit Twin Peaks’s weekly “Bike Night” under the implicit promise that the restaurant would not interfere with the bikers’ right to congregate and socialize as they pleased, even in the face of repeated requests from Waco authorities to halt the gatherings.
In framing the recent violence in Waco in this context, I do not mean to suggest that Twin Peaks is the sole cause of this weekend’s nine deaths and multiple injuries. It is possible that violence could have just as easily occurred had the Bandidos, Cossacks, Scimitars, and other biker gangs crossed paths at an Applebee’s or Chili’s. But there is little doubt that breastaurants like Twin Peaks have thrived because they provide a space in which men are encouraged to perform a certain type of masculinity, one that emphasizes machismo, male gender supremacy, territoriality, and – as we saw this weekend – violence.
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Photo: Flickr/flippunkrocker
We have only scratched the surface in determining what toxic gender norms underlie each restaurant chain!
One wonders what kind of performative gender expectations cause Chuck E. Cheese patrons to erupt into violence.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g9IIWDCQ_S8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tD5wxx_kmso
The ill-defined “outside parties” can take the form of any group or institution that would impede the working-class man’s pursuit of pleasure, whether they be the patron’s boss at work, feminists, “the nanny state,” or animal-rights activists. When your clientel is millions its pretty hard to define things like that. Short of doing a formal survey of the the guys are there (but it seems actually talking to men isn’t as popular as talking at or talking about men) you wouldn’t have a definite idea of what those outside parties are. The point of is to offer a haven from… Read more »
Goodness, and here was me thinking there was only one silly article here trying desperately to tag this shooting to that restaurant. The breastaurant model relies on providing a site in which “men can be men,” that is: fulfill the culturally-constructed expectations of a base form of masculinity. This myopic construction of manhood promotes what can be termed “frat-house values,” including the objectification of women, the excessive consumption of alcohol, the promotion of rancorous competition, and the claiming of public space through aggressive and violent means. Except their model/ideal customer doesn’t say anything of the kind, that is your uncharitable… Read more »
While your comments regarding this type of establishment may be accurate, your information on the Waco event are grossly inaccurate. You should have researched it better, or used another hook to introduce this topic.
Forgive me if I’m wrong, but this seems to have been written from a feminist inspired position. Granted, I’ve come to not expect consistency of thought from feminists, but if sexual objectification or the sexual commercialization of women is a problem, how is this different than ladies nights at bars / clubs? Ladies nights are universally condemned as sexist by the MRM, but are defended by feminists. I’ve seen feminists say that they wouldn’t patronize a bar on ladies night, but have yet to see one who supports a ban. I haven’t met one who sees a problem if a… Read more »
You mention inconsistency. Reminds me of an article from another site I read yesterday that blew my mind. The writer had the healthy epiphany that women in general find unknown men physically intimidating. But instead of a common sense advice to other men about being aware and respectful of this, he took it way over the top and stated all men are part of “rape culture.” Then he took way too long explaining appropriate greetings and gestures men need use when an unknown woman crosses their path. I came away from the article with the message that woman should never… Read more »
Chad, it probably shouldn’t surprise you to find out that that article was reprinted on this site too.
Looking at this story reminds me of a math prof I once had who was quite big on teaching people to be math literate when looking at statistics. He would have told us that making a correlation between bike gang violence and Hooters/Twin Peaks style restaurants is like saying the majority of mass shootings take place in places made with concrete, therefore, concrete has something to do with mass shootings. It’s a relationship suggested that’s devoid of proof that shows a real relationship between the two elements other than being located in the same place. Location alone only shows a… Read more »
If you don’t like these establishments because they go against your gender studies curriculum, then simply say so, but consider refraining from spurious causal relationships based on nonsense. At your level of study, you should know what a null hypothesis is – please use it and reconsider the narrative you are trying to create.
APPLEBEE’s: “Founded nearly three decades ago on the principles of exceptional value and family fun, Applebee’s Services, Inc., operates what is today the largest casual-dining chain in the world. This prominent eatery draws people of all ages and lifestyles with its fun, family-friendly atmosphere and signature bar and grill menu. ” I can make loose associations and draw useless conclusions from it too: >>But there is little doubt that restaurants like Applebee’s have thrived because they provide a space in which men are encouraged to perform a certain type of masculinity, one that emphasizes family-friendly fun, varieties of life-style, caring… Read more »