Is This Restaurant Serious? How Not to Appeal to Women Diners

I am often asked to do write-ups of new businesses opening in Orlando on my blog CitySurfing Orlando. Normally, I’m more than happy to help promote a new place to eat, shop or just have fun in town.

This week, I was alerted to a new sports bar/restaurant chain that has opened on I-Drive, called Twin Peaks. I thought, “sure, I’ll do a write-up.” Then as I was reading through the website, I actually got offended by the theming of the place.

Here’s the gist: It’s supposed to resemble a mountain hunting lodge. So to keep with the “woodsy” vibe, the servers are called “Twin Peaks Girls” and are dressed in lumberjack-inspired outfits.

But not like this:

Like this:

Yes, their servers wear cropped flannel shirts and small shorts, exposing their bare midriffs. In a bar, I don’t have a problem with this, but I do have a problem with some stranger’s naked stomach being that close to the food I’m going to eat.

Then on the front page of their website, they have the following statement:

That’s right…YOU’RE THE MAN at this sports bar. It’s even emphasized with bold type. And their most “prized assets” are “the friendly, attentive, and beautiful Twin Peaks Girls.”

Their exact words. Even the tag line on their logo says, “Eats * Drinks * Scenic Views” – hmmm…what “scenic views” could they be referring to? Their half-naked Twin Peaks Girls?

But the sexist behavior doesn’t stop there. Looking at the menu, I noticed they offer their Twin Cheeseburger in two sizes:

Is it necessary to call the bigger size “man size” and the smaller size “girl size”? And not even “women,” but “girl.” If they want cutesy terms, why not “lumberjack” and “lumberjack-in-training” instead?

I don’t know about you, but in this day and age, I’m tired of restaurants doing sexist crap like this. If you want to have the Twin Peaks Girls, then how about some male servers in a flannel kilt for those of us who don’t have a preference for half-naked women?

But when you have servers dressed like this, and have promotional material and menu items that cater specifically to men, or demean women, then you simply can’t have my business. And I won’t write about your business either.

Enough is enough. Shame, too, because the food actually sounds good.

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About zengrrl

I'm Michelle Snow, the writer and creator of Zengrrl. I write about travel, entertainment, women's issues, health, body positivity, and more, both for this blog and freelance. I have also authored/co-authored four guidebooks on Orlando and Florida. If you aren't already following me, the links are below, as well as on the top right of this page. Thanks!