Whether it is a racy restaurant name, a suggestive menu item, or even a theme featuring scantily-clad waitresses, risqué elements appear to be a trend that isn’t going away anytime soon.
Many of these restaurants have been opening up in more urban locations off Main and Main, frequently near college campuses and in close proximity to bars and nightclubs. The dining concepts tend to be in areas that attract a large number of millennials and 21-and-up Gen Z patrons. A couple of these racy named restaurants include Slutty Vegan and Better Than Sex.
Slutty Vegan is a plant-based soul food chain that received a $25M Series funding round last year to expand throughout the South and the Northeast. In addition to its raunchy restaurant name, its menu items include such suggestive titles as a “Hollywood Hooker” vegan Philly sandwich, a “One Night Stand” plant-based burger, and “Skinny Dippers” fried pickles.
Better Than Sex is a franchise alcohol and dessert restaurant that currently has six locations throughout the Sunbelt states. The concept also has tongue-in-cheek menu items such as “The Morning After,” a chocolate and brie sandwich; and “Berry Naughty,” a wine served in a chocolate rimmed glass.
There has been pushback with some of these controversial dining establishments. For example, in August of last year, city council members in Orange Beach, Ala., voiced their disapproval about Bad Ass Coffee of Hawaii opening its first unit in the state because of the profanity in the name. The city has a vulgarity ordinance against indecent merchandise sold at its establishments, but Bad Ass Coffee of Hawaii still prevailed, and opened its coffee shop there in January.
Also, the Texas-based Ojos Locos Sports Cantina restaurant concept, known for its scantily clad waitresses, last year received city approval from the Downey, Calif., to open its first restaurant in the state in a former Denny’s restaurant. However, the local residents have been pushing back at city council meetings, as the restaurant would be in close proximity to a local high school. Now there are continuing negotiations as to possibly changing the attire for the waitresses, or even moving the site to another area in a more industrial setting.
