The anti-breastaurant: Eva Longoria plans steakhouse for women
Breastaurants begone: Female diners are carving out their own space in the restaurant industry, with actress Eva Longoria’s women-focused steakhouse SHe the latest entry.
The “Desperate Housewives” star is closing her restaurant Beso and nightclub Eve in Las Vegas and reopening the space as a haven for the ladies, complete with small plates and a catwalk for fashion shows.
Though men will still be welcome, SHe’s private dining rooms, indoor and outdoor lounges, DJ booths and more will be designed with femmes in mind. The restaurant is backed by Tilman Fertitta’s Landry’s Inc., which owns classic steakhouse chain Morton’s.
The venue opens on New Year’s Eve in the Crystals shopping space at the CityCenter, featuring a 1920s theme. Guests will also experience cryogenic fog, tiered seating and a dance floor, according to a report by Vegas Seven.
A press release envisions the eatery as “an updated interpretation of the gilded age when wealth and excessive opulence ruled America’s upper-class combined with a modern version of art deco to create a feeling of empowerment, especially for female guests.”
Landry’s bought Beso for $1 million last year, bringing the restaurant out of bankruptcy.
As many restaurant chains draw male diners using scantily clad waitresses — see the Tilted Kilt, the Heart Attack Grill, Twin Peaks, Show-Me’s and more — some women diners are feeling sidelined.
In South Korea, a restaurant called Mies Container, with its attractive male servers, positions itself as a sort of Hooters for women.
“By simulating the concept and design system of a male-only working space of a construction site, and showing a very masculine enthusiasm and passion, we wanted to appeal to young women who comprise an important consumer base,” executives told CNN.
In Southern California, a young company called Waiters in Boxers hires out servers and bartenders clad only in boxer briefs for bachelorette parties and other women-focused events.
The STK line of steakhouses, which has branches in Los Angeles and Las Vegas, refers to itself as a “sexy, female friendly steakhouse.” The Eater blog has the video to prove it.
Female-friendly pubs are now opening up around the world following the lead of chains such as All Bar One in Britain, with fewer beer-stained bar stools and more squeaky-clean bathrooms and glamorous sofas.
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