13 August 21 - 27, 2025 dallasobserver.com DALLAS OBSERVER Classified | MusiC | dish | Culture | unfair Park | Contents That was not a rumor. It’s a fact. And whoever came up with the idea (we’ll get to them in just a bit) was on to something. Ojos Locos, a place similar to Hooters, but Mexican, is on fire. The sports bar is a beacon for Hispanic soccer fans in North Texas. It has gone from one location in 2010 to 24 in Texas and 8 in New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada and California. Walk in on any weekday afternoon, past big dusty work trucks in the parking lot, and you’ll see tables full of diners hunched over burgers and tacos, many wearing work boots and jeans. Some tables have towers of golden beer above them, glowing like a lighthouse. TVs line the walls, likely tuned into soccer — or other sports if there’s no big tournament. Here’s one thing to know: It’s cheeky in here. The servers, known as chicas, are scantily clad. High-wasted black bikinis are pulled over fish- nets. They wear black bralettes with tattoos peek- ing from behind lace. Sometimes the attire is more sporty: short flared skirts, cropped low-cut T-shirts and tall socks. It’s mostly men inside, but there are also tables of women. Rich Hicks and Randy DeWitt, the latter of whom cofounded Twin Peaks, came up with the idea for a soccer-focused sports bar for Hispanics. Hicks, who has worked his entire career in res- taurants, recognized the market was under- served. They did open their first restaurant just months before the 2010 World Cup. He and his management team watched the place get rowdy (in a good way) during big games. Hicks says they’ve been working on the 2026 World Cup for a while already and that committees have even been formed to meet the anticipated demand. For Hispanics, it’s a place to be the home team. And now, it’s becoming a sanctuary. Hispanic Hospitality A ndrea Serrano, 22, started working at Ojos Locos in 2023 as a chica and is now a bartender. She’s in college and sticks with her job here because of the community. “You don’t see many other places around that offer that hospitality specifically to the Hispanic community,” she says. Such an open-arms approach can be danger- ous in these times. In addition to rhetoric fueling divisiveness across the country, President Kathy Tran | CITY OF ATE | t Dish Ojos Locos empowers women to rise in the ranks. From left to right: Adalia Avelar, Yessica Perez, Katia George, Ana Aguilar and Dawn Diaz >> p14 O ver a decade ago, we heard a rumor that the Ojos Locos on Technology Boulevard in Dallas was built solely because of the World Cup and that its owners re- couped their start-up costs in record time. Given the popularity of American football in Dallas, this seems like an odd business strategy: Who in this town would cater to a version of football without tackling? The Eyes Have it Ojos Locos sports bar started as a hub for Hispanics to watch the World Cup. With more than 30 units, now it’s a sanctuary. By Lauren Drewes Daniels
