Another so-called ‘breastaurant’ chain suffered a sharp drop in sales.
The news of trouble at Bombshells comes after it was revealed two weeks ago that larger rival Hooters had closed about 40 restaurants.
Bombshells is a chain of military-themed restaurants founded in Texas where waitresses wear crop tops and bullet belts.
Bombshells’ revenue fell 16.2 percent in the April-June quarter compared to the same period a year ago.
The blow to parent company RCI Hospitality was softened by a 1.7 percent increase in turnover at its second business, a series of strip clubs under various names.
Sales at Bombshells, a Texas-based competitor to Hooters, fell 16.2 percent
Bombshells reported that sales had fallen by about a sixth, causing revenues to fall by more than $2 million in three months.
RCI released its earnings report after it learned that rival Hooters had closed about 40 stores in four states this year because customers were staying away.
There are eight Bombshells open in Houston, two in Dallas, and one each in Austin, San Antonio, Stafford and Lubbock — 13 in total.
Bombshells has not grown as quickly as planned. In 2016, bosses said they hoped to open more than 100 new stores after Donald Trump’s election victory.
“I think overall the election has been very positive for us so far,” RCI CEO Eric Langan said at the time.
Photos show Bombshells personnel wearing scantily clad army green tops and short black skirts, as well as knee-high black boots and gun belts around their waists.
In several photos from 2016, the young attendants pose next to fake bombs, in the backs of military trucks, next to the American flag and — bizarrely — standing in garbage cans.
Hooters two weeks ago announced the sudden closure of 40 locations in the US.
These locations were in Florida, Kentucky, Rhode Island, Texas, and Virginia.
Hooters will have about 300 restaurants worldwide after the closures, down from 333 in 2018, Techonomic said.
The first Hooters opened in Clearwater, Florida in 1983. The eatery, which was called the “breastauraunt” in the 1990s, was originally intended as a joke.
Hooters was created by the now famous “Hooters Six,” who together had no experience in the restaurant business and were even arrested for posing as restaurant owners. Hooters has undergone major changes since then and has become hugely successful.
Hooters recently closed about 40 restaurants
The first Hooters opened in Clearwater, Florida in 1983
Created by the now famous ‘Hooters Six’, who collectively had no experience in the restaurant business and were even arrested for posing as restaurant owners, Hooters has undergone major changes
The sports-style bar, which opened in Clearwater in 1983 (pictured), celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2023 — but the eatery was initially conceived as a joke
The founders included L.D. Stewart, a painter; Gil DiGiannantonio, a liquor salesman; Ranieri, better known as Uncle Billy, a retired gas station owner; Ed Droste, a real estate manager; Dennis Johnson, a bricklayer by trade; and Ken Wimmer, a partner in the LD Strange Group painting firm.
And although they were excited about their adventure, the six didn’t expect the eatery to last long.
When Hooters became so popular, an entire company sprang up, putting its name on calendars, casinos, airlines, NASCAR races, and even products in grocery stores.
But the chain’s success was not without controversy, including gender discrimination in the 1990s, investigations into the mental health of wait staff and complaints about scanty uniforms.