In little more than a week, Flip Flops restaurant did its own extreme makeover into the new Daisy Dukes.
The new digs will be unveiled today at 11 a.m. when Daisy Dukes, located at 222 E. University Drive, officially opens for business, after a contest to redesign the restaurant gave it a split personality.
One side is Daisy's and the other is Duke's, each with a separate menu and bar and a distinct look and feel, said owner Brian Roehrich.
Daisy Dukes will replace Flip Flops, which had not been successful, Roehrich said. He sponsored a contest to give the restaurant a new look.
Several hundred designs were submitted. Scottsdale resident Nicole Tallmadge won with her plan to make one side more woman-friendly and the other more male-friendly.
Tallmadge also won a Mexican cruise and party at the restaurant for her friends and the other contest entrants.
"I think it's perfect," Roehrich said. "A place where girls can go and a place where guys can go."
Daisy's will feature a more health-conscious menu and a bar that serves sangria and margaritas while Duke's will have a more "meat and potatoes" menu and a bar that serves Jack Daniels and Coke, Roehrich said.
Roehrich said the new look would give the restaurant a broader client base, catering to students and business people.
"We want the college people, but we also want people to be comfortable when they come in a business suit," he said.
Journalism and mass communication junior Wendy Neville said she would give the restaurant a try, but would likely find herself on Duke's end, not Daisy's.
"It's interesting," she said. "I've never heard of [an idea like that] before."
Architecture sophomore Pedro Melo said he definitely likes the idea and would also stop by for a visit.
"I think it's great," Melo said. "I don't know if many guys would go to [Daisy's]."
The property had been home to the Dos Gringos Trailer Park restaurant for many years. Business was doing so well, management picked up the property next door in hopes of expanding the business.
But the eatery was forced to move when it began selling more liquor than food, causing a small problem. The restaurant had become a bar and was too close to the University and a nearby church than legally allowed. The property was then put under new management and renamed Flip Flops.
The plan failed and in less than a year Roehrich took back the property in hopes of turning a profit with the new design.
Reach the reporter at rkost@asu.edu.
