Last year, despite a decline in casual dining due to the economic strain felt by many, the “breastaurant” was the fastest growing restaurant category to pop up around the country. The formula is pretty simple; find pretty young waitresses willing to dress in reveling uniforms, cover every available wall with a flat screen, and serve decent bar food with an extensive beer list to a predominately male clientele. Similar to Charles Barkley's Weight Watcher's commercial about still eating "man food" while dieting, the food served at "breastaurant" eateries, such as CANZaciti Roadhouse, Twin Peaks, and Titled Kilt, is a menu completely dedicated to the foods men love. Menu offerings include chicken wings available in thirty or more different sauces, pizza, burgers, and other finger foods that give men a reason to leave their man cave.

Established in Clearwater, Florida in 1983, Hooters is the best known of these chains. The company has net sales of about one billion dollars annually, so they must be doing something right. Unfortunately, due to increased competition, a tough economy, and the increased sophistication in consumer tastes Hooters has struggled recently. Thankfully, for men and wing-lovers (their wings aren’t half-bad, considering) Hooters got the message and are planning to bring their menu up to speed. By taking a step back from their traditional wings and basic bar foods, the company has decided to include more gourmet offerings. The new menu will include items such as burgers made of higher-quality beef and a shrimp and spinach salad that we assume are for the girlfriends dragged along or the waitresses while on break. Kidding! Men eat salads too.

For those who feel that the “breastaurant” chain promotes “retro-sexism,” don’t worry. The market is becoming so saturated with carbon copies of Hooters-esque restaurants the market will soon be overrun, causing many of these establishments to close up shop due to a lack of originality. Regardless of your feelings about exploiting the wait staff, subpar bar food, or the general ambiance of the “breastraurant” you have to hand it to their creators, they’re enormously popular, create staggering revenues for such a simple concept, and possibly cater to a demographic that the fine dining world tends to ignore.