The lodge-style interiors and large central bar may not be the first things to capture customers’ attention when entering a Twin Peaks restaurant.
Slated to open in Baton Rouge on Jan. 9, the new restaurant on Siegen Lane will boast made-from-scratch food, beer served at 29 degrees Fahrenheit and an all-female wait staff made up of “Lumber Jills.”
About 15 employees have completed the audition process and have been hired. A total of 50 to 60 Lumber Jills will be employed by opening.
Sam Baiocco, general manager of the Siegen Lane Twin Peaks, said employees are often pulled from the college crowd, drawn by flexible hours and a good paycheck.
“It’s a good job, not just for the girls, but it was for me as a young kid,” he said. “I got started in a kitchen, and it’s a fun job with a fun atmosphere. We have a saying in the restaurant business. We think everybody should wait tables at least once in their life.”
The employee uniform includes a red and black plaid midriff-revealing shirt, khaki shorts and snow boots, but the waitresses are encouraged to create their own costumes for special events and holidays.
The Baton Rouge location is a franchise, although some of the 15 restaurants open in five states are corporately owned.
Baiocco said Siegen Lane pulls traffic from Denham Springs, Gonzales and the University, targeting men age 25 to 55.
“The whole theme we try to create is mountain sports lodge meets beer commercial,” Baiocco said. “I think it’s our approach to the simple things that people — and guys — really look for.”
The planning process began this summer, with construction on the building starting around Sept. 1.
Baiocco described the food as “cravable and comfortable,” with 90 percent of the items made from scratch.
Items are priced from $8 to $10 and certain “smoking hot dishes” are worded to convey the flirty theme.
Baiocco said the layout of Baton Rouge provides a good environment for the restaurant.
“My first impression of the city, being an out-of-towner, is that it would be bigger and spread out,” he said. “But it’s so compact. There’s a little bit of everything. That dynamic makes it kind of special, and it’s a better environment for us, being the only Twin Peaks in town.”
Javier Pallais, assistant manager, worked at Hooters for 15 years before becoming involved with Twin Peaks.
“The food is what’s going to stand out,” Pallais said. “The girls and the concept is perfect, and this restaurant has enhanced what needed to be changed in the concept to make it better.”
 
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Contact Morgan Searles at [email protected]