Type Private Number of employees 670 President Jack Gibbons Number of locations 61 | Services Food and beverage CEO Randy DeWitt Headquarters Addison Parent organization La Cima Restaurants, LLC | |
Products Southwest food, American food, alcohol, beer Founders Randy DeWitt, Scott Gordon Profiles | ||
Twin Peaks is a chain of sports bars and restaurants (colloquially referred to as breastaurants) based in Dallas, Texas. The chain is known for having its waitresses dress in revealing uniforms that consist of cleavage- and midriff-revealing red plaid (or sometimes black bikini) tops, as well as khaki short shorts. At other times, waitresses wear revealing seasonal or themed outfits. Restaurants are decorated in the theme of a wilderness lodge and serve a mix of American, Southwest and Southern cuisines as well as alcohol. The chain's slogan is "Eats. Drinks. Scenic Views."
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History
Twin Peaks was founded in 2005 by Randy Dewitt and Scott Gordon in Lewisville, Texas. Dewitt, who had previously helped Brinker International develop Rockfish Seafood, noted a thriving sports-bar market and decided to create a chain with a mountain-lodge motif and attractive servers. According to analysts, 'breastaurant' chains have been growing at a rate of 30-40% per year, while the general restaurant industry as a whole has only grown about 3-5% annually. Twin Peaks has subsequently expanded to 38 locations across 17 states in the USA as of August 2013. Most locations are in Texas, with others the American Southwest, Midwest and South. Twin Peaks has a mix of franchised and corporate-owned restaurants.
Awards
Twin Peaks won a 2010 Hot Concept award from Nation's Restaurant News. In 2011, Twin Peaks was named "Franchisee of the Year" by the International Franchise Association at their annual conference in Washington, DC.
Lawsuits
In 2009, the parent company of Twin Peaks sued a competitor in a Texas federal court. The plaintiffs alleged their competitor planned to open a chain of competing "breastaurants" named "Northern Exposure" which used waitress uniforms similar to those of Twin Peaks.
In 2011, a number of former Hooters executives (including former CEO Coby Brooks) left Hooters to start a Twin Peaks franchise group. Hooters then filed suit against Twin Peaks and alleged the former Hooters executives had stolen Hooters trade secrets and management documents as part of their move to Twin Peaks.
On July 8, 2015 the widow of slain biker Jesus Delgado Rodriguez (one of the nine bikers killed in the May 17, 2015 by law enforcement outside the (former) Twin Peaks in Waco, Texas filed a lawsuit against Twin Peaks' parent company for negligence.
Waco, Texas motorcycle club gunfight
On May 17, 2015, a gunfight among rival biker gangs broke out at a Waco, Texas Twin Peaks restaurant. Nine people were killed and eighteen others were taken to the hospital. A police spokesman expressed anger at the management of the local Twin Peaks, which he said had been less than helpful in dealing with gangs in the past. The next day, the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission announced a seven-day suspension of the location's liquor license. Hours later, corporate headquarters announced that it was revoking the location's franchise agreement, saying the location's owner had disregarded warnings from both police and corporate officials in the run-up to the shootout. Later that day, corporate headquarters announced the Waco location would not reopen. The same franchisee also owns a Twin Peaks in Harker Heights, near Fort Hood but closed at the end of September 2015.