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Hawaiian Tropic Zone Dorm
By
Jen Chung
Published Oct 22, 2006
Modified Mar 6, 2008
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By
Jen Chung
Published Oct 22, 2006
Modified Mar 6, 2008
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Sure, the a Hawaiian Tropic Zone Restaurant in midtown is hot - its grand opening was so crowded it had to be shut down and its waitresses wearing bikinis while serving food and drink. But if you thought the waitresses wore bikinis because they couldn't afford more clothes, think again. It turns out that many of the waitresses are women who win Hawaiian Tropic contests across the country and were given the chance to strut their stuff and sling the hash in the city. The Post reveals that there's basically a Hawaiian Tropic dorm where most of the women live:
The Texans live with eight other recruits in two three-bedroom pads in an eight-story walkup on the Upper East Side owned by Dennis Riese, who owns the Hawaiian Tropic Zone with PM nightclub honcho Adam Hock.
Under the terms of their Hawaiian Tropic Zone deals, the models live rent free for six months, pay $200 for the seventh month, $400 the eighth and $600 a month until they leave. They also get discounted gym memberships and tanning, because they're required to take part in both.
In return, they weave in and out between crowded tables as waitresses for the restaurant, welcoming guests, serving drinks and taking dinner orders while wearing Nicole Miller bikinis.
Required tanning - hilarious yet expected! Taking that into account, the first year of rent would be $3000 TOTAL. That is a pretty amazing deal for the model-waitresses, even if they have to share rooms and make sure their bodies are bikini-ready. Especially given that each night one of the waitresses is named the "pageant winner" of the night and gets $100 on top of the $100 for the shift ($12.50/hour) and tips.
You can see photographs of some of the staff in the photo gallery.
Tagged
contests
east side
food
hawaiian tropic zone
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News: NYC
restaurant
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upper east side
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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