Texas restaurant 'ignored warnings' of biker gang violence

Police patrol the roof of the Twin Peaks restaurant in Waco after the deadly shootings

The corporate parent of the Waco Twin Peaks restaurant has cut ties with the franchise after Texas police said the owners failed to heed their warnings of impending violence.

Nine people were killed in a shootout between rival biker gangs on Sunday.

The company said the management team "did not uphold the high security standards we have in place to ensure everyone is safe at our restaurants".

Separately, Texas officials suspended the Waco location's liquor licence.

Waco police Sgt Patrick Swanton told reporters on Sunday that the Waco Twin Peaks has "some answering not only to do to y'all, but to our community as well".

Waco police said trouble had been brewing for months, causing them to station officers outside the restaurant on Sunday even before the shootings broke out.

The Waco location had promoted Thursdays as "bike night" on its website, courting a motorcycle rider clientele.

One of the business' partners, Jay Patel, wrote in a Facebook post that the management was "horrified" by the shootings.

"Our management team has had ongoing and positive communications with the police and … we will continue to cooperate with the police as they investigate this terrible crime," Patel said.

But the Associated Press reported that Waco police "described the management as uncooperative with authorities in addressing concerns about the gangs".

Chain on the rise

Dubbed a 'breastaurant' by its CEO Randy DeWitt, Twin Peaks is one of the fastest growing restaurant chains in the US.

With about 70 locations in the US, the Dallas-based restaurant chain is known for its waitresses who wear tight plaid shirts and mini-shorts.

Last year, Twin Peaks sales increased 45% as other chain restaurants such as Olive Garden and Red Lobster struggled to retain customers.