Tilted Kilt Pub and Eatery is a modern Scottish-Irish-themed sports pub and franchisor-type restaurant chain in the United States.
The company has six locations.[1]
History
The first Tilted Kilt Pub & Eatery was opened in the Las Vegas Rio Hotel and Casino in 2003, with servers "wearing Celtic-themed uniforms with knee-high socks and short, sexy plaid kilts", by restaurateur Mark DiMartino[2][3] and business partners and co-founders Shannon Reilly and John Reynaud.[4] The concept was a "contemporary, Celtic-themed sports Pub staffed with beautiful servers".
Atmosphere
Tilted Kilt describes itself as "a modern American, Scottish and Irish sports pub". The menu mixes traditional and contemporary pub food, serving fish and chips, shepherd's pie, and "Big-Arse Burgers". Each pub features at least 24 beers on tap, including flagship beverages such as Guinness and Samuel Adams. The establishments are filled with televisions for sporting events, and games such as Golden Tee, pool, and darts are available for the patrons.
Others place Tilted Kilt into the category of "breastaurant", in the same vein as Hooters and Twin Peaks, specializing in scantily clad female servers.[5] The company's homepage heavily features so-called "Kilt Girls".[6] Community members in Evanston, Illinois, mounted a successful campaign to keep the chain from opening there.[7][8]
Undercover Boss
Tilted Kilt's president, Ron Lynch was featured on season 4, episode 2, of Undercover Boss,[9] released on CBS, November 9, 2012, in the United States.[10][11]
Litigation
In April 2019, a jury in Lancaster County, Nebraska, awarded $1.47 million to a past waitress against Famous Brands Group LLC, a Tilted Kilt franchisee and a manager, Dustin Lindgren, for video recording servers changing in the dressing room. The restaurant closed in 2014, the year the recordings took place. This was not the first time the manager was confronted in a separate incident by a different employee. In 2015, the former manager Lindgren was convicted of a felony charge; he received 180 days (approximately six months) in jail and five years' probation "for recording a person in a state of undress". Two other lawsuits were settled for an undisclosed amount with two other victims for the same conduct; one was set to go to trial on Thursday, April 18, 2019.[13]
Sale
In 2018 SDA Holdings sold Tilted Kilt to Arc Group Inc., owner of Dick's Wings and Grill, for 1.4 million shares of stock, $10 cash and payments in the future totaling $1.5 million.[14][15] CEO of ARC Group Richard Akam, said, "Tilted Kilt will be a strong addition to our platform and a brand for which we believe we can make a significant impact in its top and bottom line growth".[16][17] The former president of Tilted Kilt, Ron Lynch has opened a new restaurant in Tempe, Arizona, called VooDoo Daddy's Steam Kitchen, a Louisiana-style fast-casual restaurant.[18][19]
External links
References
- Locations tiltedkilt.com, retrieved 2022-01-19^
- Earle Hitchner. Tilted Kilt Opens in Cedar Rapids The Courier, January 27, 2009, retrieved May 15, 2019^
- Muriel Stevens. Columnist Muriel Stevens: New York-New York leads Irish parade Las Vegas Sun, March 14, 2003, retrieved May 15, 2019^
- Monica Szakacs. Wethersfield's 'Tilted Kilt' Catches Flak For Waitresses' Costumes Hartford Courant, March 17, 2012, retrieved August 4, 2020^
- Sandra Pedicini. 'Breastaurants' serve up boom times for busts The Sydney Morning Herald, 2013-02-07, retrieved 2018-01-24^
- Kilt Girls Tilted Kilt Pub, retrieved 2 December 2018^
- Bill Smith. Tilted Kilt: Hot debate over sexy bar Evanston Now, 2011-04-27, retrieved 2018-01-24^
- Mayor Rejects Tilted Kilt Liquor License Evanston, IL Patch, 2011-05-02, retrieved 2018-01-24^
- Tilted Kilt IMDb, retrieved May 15, 2019^
- Tony Graf. Tilted Kilt exec to appear on CBS show 'Undercover Boss' The Herald-News, November 8, 2012^
- Tim Gallen. Tilted Kilt President Ron Lynch talks about 'Undercover Boss' appearance Phoenix Business Journal, October 26, 2012, retrieved May 15, 2019^
- Lori Weisberg. Tilted Kilt sports bar exits San Diego sandiegouniontribune.com, retrieved 2018-07-10^
- Lori Pilger. Jury awards former Tilted Kilt server $1.4M verdict over manager spying on her as she changed clothes Lincoln Journal Star, April 12, 2019, retrieved May 15, 2019^
- Jonathan Maze. The Story of the Tilted Kilt Sale Restaurant Business, November 12, 2018, retrieved October 1, 2019^
- Ron Ruggless. Tilted Kilt acquisition on months-long path Nations Restaurant News, June 13, 2018, retrieved September 26, 2020^
- Don Sniegowski. ARC to Buy Tilted Kilt Brand for Ten million Blue Mau Mau, November 10, 2018, retrieved May 5, 2019^
- Danny Klein. Tilted Kilt Being Sold to Dick's Wings Owner foodnewsfeed.com, June 2018, retrieved 2018-10-05^
- Heather Lalley. Former Titled Kilt President Launches Cajun Fast~Casual Concept Restaurant Business, May 1, 2019, retrieved May 15, 2019^
- Voodoo Daddy's brings New Orleans to EV East Valley Tribune, May 17, 2019, retrieved May 19, 2019^