The Mission Valley branch of Tilted Kilt Pub and Eatery, which opened in early 2011, closed this past September, and the downtown San Diego outpost shuttered earlier this week.
Tilted Kilt is a Celtic-themed franchise known for its scantily-clad female servers dressed in themed attire - men wear kilts and women wear "mini-kilts" and plaid bras. The first Tilted Kilt was opened in the Las Vegas Rio Hotel and Casino in 2003. The company now has more than 20 locations around the U.S. and Canada.
When the Mission Valley location of Tilted Kilt closed in early September, the company cited the loss of the San Diego Chargers as a reason, but apparently that is not the case. Tilted Kilt's huge downtown sports bar & restaurant, which opened near Petco Park at 310 Tenth Avenue in Spring 2008, also could not make it work, likely due to a shift in societal tolerance of the exploitation of women.
"The Mission Valley Tilted Kilt is franchisee owned and operated," stated a company spokesperson after the closure. "With the changing demographics and customer base associated with the exit of the San Diego Chargers and declining mall traffic, the franchisee has made the decision to focus on the downtown San Diego location across from Petco Park."
There is no word yet on what will take over the prime Petco Park-adjacent space in San Diego's East Village or the Westfield Mall space in Mission Valley, but we're rooting for local brewery tasting rooms and restaurants.
