Act I: The Beach Gimmick
0-30m
The April Fools Charter
Six Clearwater handymen & contractors incorporate a joke restaurant on April 1, 1983, expecting it to fail within 6 months.
Lynne Austin Takes the Apron
Lynne Austin wins the Jose Cuervo swimsuit contest and walks into a half-built shack, inventing the modern waitress archetype on day one.
Act II: Chaos & Expansion
30-85m
The Clam Shell Disaster
Opening night runs out of beer and chicken wings in 90 minutes. Lynne manages drunk patrons while the kitchen catches fire.
Clearwater Town Hall Protests
Local church leaders and city council try to revoke their liquor license, inadvertently giving the brand millions in free TV press.
Act III: The Empire & Cost
85-114m
Franchise Takeover Friction
Corporate executives from Atlanta arrive with briefcases to buy out national rights, squeezing out the original grassroots vibe.
The Billboard on Highway 19
Lynne sees her face on giant billboards nationwide as the founders cash out and an unstoppable 1980s brand is cemented.
Scene Excerpt • Beat 1: The April Fools Charter
🎵 Cue: Little River Band - "Reminiscing"
INT. DERELICT GULF COAST SHACK - CLEARWATER - APRIL 1983 - DAY
Salt air drifts through broken jalousie windows. SIX MEN in paint-splattered cargo shorts and polyester shirts lean over a sticky booth table.
ED DROSTE
None of us know how to run a kitchen. None of us know how to pour a draft without three inches of foam. That’s why it’s foolproof.
DENNIS JOHNSON
If we go belly up by Labor Day, at least we wrote off sixty cases of beer. Sign the lease.