How “The Kilt” Came To Be
The Tilted Kilt concept originated in 2003, not in Ireland, not in Scotland, not even in England. Believe it or not, the Tilted Kilt actually came to life in America’s own city of sin, Las Vegas. The idea for a modern American, Irish, Scottish and English sports pub was the brainchild of successful restaurateur Mark DiMartino. His vision saw a contemporary, Celtic-themed sports pub staffed with beautiful servers. And guess what the uniforms would be...knee-high socks and short, sexy plaid kilts with matching plaid bra’s under white camp shirts tantalizingly tied to show off the midriff.
DiMartino immediately assembled a stellar restaurant management team consisting of Shannon Reilly, a free spirit and conspiracy theorist and John Reynaud, the original One Shot Johnny—a golf pro who hadn’t made a dime on the mini-tour in such a long time he’d forgotten where his bank was. With team and funding in place, the Tilted Kilt was a go!
The team and the concept enjoyed great success in Las Vegas. And, one of the great things about a Vegas location is the national and global exposure it garnered. Although the Tilted Kilt was not originally intended to be a franchise, it wasn’t long before the concept’s popularity caught the eye of Ron Lynch, an experienced restaurant and franchise developer.
Not only was Ron Lynch a smart and seasoned businessman, he was a figure the team could truly look up to. However, it wasn’t because of his vast restaurant, franchise, and development experience, but because he was so damn tall (6’6”).
After several months of double-dealing, cheap shots, low blows and self-serving positioning, both parties agreed that Tilted Kilt had broad, far-reaching appeal with a great chance to flourish in multiple regions. Thus, the franchise plan was hatched. The first step was to move the Tilted Kilt headquarters to Tempe, Arizona where it is still based today.
Now, with dozens of locations in operation and many more scheduled to open across the country, Tilted Kilt is proving that “A Cold Beer Never Looked So Good.”
If we’re not in your city yet, look for us to come soon!
“Tilted Kilt’s vision is to be the best, most respected, most recognizable and entertaining Sports Pub in America, through service and hospitality that is unrivaled.”
– Ron Lynch, President
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