Dallas is getting a new restaurant and bar downtown in the West End. Stingrays had a soft opening last week and is expected to have a grand opening event sometime in November. You're more than welcome to visit now -- just know that things won't be as grand as they might be later, when they have their rooftop patio open.
If you're wondering what Stingrays is all about, the banner above featuring one bikini-clad brunette and another topless one provides a window. A bio of the restaurant describes a whole fleet of maidens waiting to warm customers up with their excellent customer service skills, while pictures on the menu show waitresses in red halter-tops with bare midriffs and black, skin-tight shorts. Picture Twin Peaks meets casual seafood and oyster shots in a 9,000 square-foot restaurant space downtown.
Say what you want about breastaurants, but they've been outperforming most casual food-service concepts for years now. They also get their best business in Texas, according to Business Insider. The state has given rise to Bone Daddy's House of Smoke, Twin Peaks and Brick House Tavern + Tap, and is the leader in sales for Hooters nationally.
Offering skin doesn't always equal success, though. Honey Shack on Lemmon Avenue tried the same T&A approach and has since closed, and Burger Girl in Frisco hasn't experienced anything like the growth of more popular restaurants. Maybe 45 high-definition televisions and a patio that offers views of downtown will keep Stingrays on top. Maybe a menu featuring a seafood platter, crab cakes, boiled crawfish, gumbo, and chicken wings will keep the customers coming in. Or maybe it's bare bellies alone. The strategy has certainly been working more often then not.
Stingrays, 703 McKinney Ave, 972-993-3638, stingraysdallas.com
