An operator of risqué nightclubs with suggestive-sounding names is going more mainstream with the rollout of a military-themed sports grill featuring wings and buxom women.
RCI Holdings said it is beginning to franchise Bombshells, which currently has five locations, all in Texas. The 2-year-old concept is skewed toward members of the military, with tributes paid in the décor to all branches of the service.
The chain holds events to benefit Folds of Honor, an organization that provides tuition assistance to the children and spouses of military personnel who were killed or disabled during their service.
The menu also plays up the military connection, with selections like the Pearl Harbor cocktail and Citadel Grilled Chicken. It also features such suggestive-sounding items as the Jane Russell (a chicken breast sandwich) and the Pinup Girl (a salad with artichoke hearts.)
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Posted by Bombshells - Austin on Tuesday, September 29, 2015
Wings are offered in five levels of spiceness, from Defcon 5 to Defcon 1, and waitresses are known as Bombshell Girls. They dress in what the chain calls “military-inspired” uniforms.
“They are our image, brand, and future," said David Simmons, president of BMB Franchising Services, RCI’s franchising subsidiary.
BMB also commented that the restaurants, which typically measure more than 7,500 square feet, are popular with couples and families as well as singles.
Bombshells is a late entrant in a fast-growing sector of casual restaurants collectively known as breastaurants, because of the spotlight role their female servers are given. Prominent brands in that field include Hooters, Twin Peaks and Tilted Kilt.
RCI currently operates 46 food and beverage facilities in total. Most are what the company describes as “adult gentlemen’s clubs,” with scantily clad women serving as hostesses and providing entertainment. The publicly owned company generated revenues last fiscal year of $129 million.
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