Tilted Kilt Takes a Fling in St. Charles

The target date for the new Celtic-themed Tilted Kilt Pub and Eatery to open is March 11, less than a week from St. Patrick’s Day.

“We have beer on tap, a full bar, a full menu with everything from wings through steaks,” said franchise owner Paul DiBenedetto. “We’ll have 45 flat-screen TVs with roughly every sports package you can think of.”

The new restaurant will open at 1566 Country Club Plaza Drive along South First Capitol Drive, formerly Wiliker’s Bar and Restaurant.

The Tilted Kilt is like Hooters with a Scottish-Irish theme. Its website reads, “A cold beer never looked so good.”

The staff’s costumes include white knee socks, short kilts, a white, tied off top that shows midriff and reveals a plaid bra that matches the kilt. They are currently holding "auditions" for staff. 

“I think people will come because of our great pub, our excellent food, to watch sports on TV and of ours our beautiful wait staff,” DiBenedetto said.

Wiliker's was a popular location, but it closed due to flooding in 2008 after remnants of Hurricane Ike hit the area. 

“We made sure the flooding issue has been addressed,” DiBenedetto said. “We wouldn’t have done the deal if there hadn’t been some physical changes to the site to address the flooding. It’s clean and taken care of. We also have some extra flood insurance.”

The St. Charles establishment will be the only Tilted Kilt in Missouri, although there are 60 franchises countrywide. The closest Tilted Kilt is in Peoria, and several are clustered around the Chicago area. A franchise in Arnold closed because the establishment was small and the area didn’t develop as expected.