![]() A bikini barista at Bottoms Up Espresso's drive-thru in Clovis, California (2020) | |
Description | |
---|---|
Competencies | Serving foods and beverages in exotic apparel such as bikini or lingerie |
Fields of employment | Food service |
Related jobs | Barista |
A bikini barista is a woman who works as a barista, preparing and serving coffee beverages, while dressed in scanty attire such as a bikini, lingerie or a crop top combined with bikini bottoms or hotpants. In the United States, this marketing technique (sometimes referred to as sexpresso [1] [2] or bareista [3] [4] ) originated in the Seattle, Washington area in the early 2000s. [5] Similar phenomena have appeared in countries such as Chile [6] [7] [8] and Japan since at least the 1980s.[ citation needed ]
Sexpresso drive-through stands and coffee outlets are numerous in the greater Seattle area, [9] so much so that coffee stands that have fully clothed employees often advertise themselves as "family friendly". [10] The exact inventor of the "bikini barista" concept is debated. [1] The "Natte Latte" chain's first location was opened in November 1999 by Mary Keller, in Bremerton, Washington. Its employees began sporting pink leather hotpants in 2001. [11] [12] Next, in 2003, "Cowgirls Espresso" opened its first location in Tukwila, Washington. A few months after opening, as summer heat invaded the small 70-square-foot (6.5 m2) shop, owner Lori Bowden adopted employee suggestions that they start a "Bikini Wednesday" promotion. Sales took off, and other scantily-clad theme days soon followed. [2] [13] [14] The concept of "bikini baristas" spread quickly, featuring attractive young women dressed in attire such as bikinis, lingerie, stockings, and heels. [13] [15] [16] The first round of international press attention to the trend occurred in early 2007. [1] [13] [17] Competitors that have not followed suit have complained about the trend, and have also seen a drop in business. [18]
The retail establishments that employ bikini baristas often adopt titillating names, including "Peek A-Brew", "Grab n' Go", "Cowgirls Espresso", "Smokin' Hot Espresso", [19] "Knotty Bodies Espresso", [20] "Java Jigglers", [21] "Espresso Gone Crazy", "Espresso Gone Wild", "Java Girls", [15] "Sweet Spot", "Fantasy Espresso", and "Natte Latte". [22]
The employment of bikini baristas has sometimes caused controversy and complaints from local residents. [20] [23] [24] [25]
As a result of these complaints and incidents, some local jurisdictions have considered adopting local ordinances to regulate and control the activities of the stores. [26] [27] [28]
Undercover police officers in Snohomish County, Washington, witnessed some baristas performing additional services for extra money, including letting customers touch them, photograph them, or watch them lick whipped cream off each other. These statements were retracted by the police department in Everett, Washington, as the undercover police officer was a known customer and offered money to the barista. [29] The Everett police department was accused of entrapment. [5] [30] In September 2009, five baristas at a Grab 'n Go in Everett were charged with prostitution after police surveillance caught them stripping and performing sexual acts for cash. [19] [31] Other complaints were in regard to the stand's proximity to preschools and daycare centers. [32]
In July 2011, the owner and three employees of Java Juggs in Edmonds, Washington, were charged with prostitution, [33] with the police later releasing some footage obtained. [34]
Everett (the county seat of and the largest city in Snohomish County) was temporarily enjoined against enforcing a dress code ordinance against bikini baristas in December 2017 by U.S. District Court Judge Marsha J. Pechman, who found it unconstitutionally vague, violated their freedom of expression under the First Amendment, and unconstitutional under the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment since it primarily targeted women. [35] [36] In March 2018, the city filed an appeal with the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals and requested the injunction be lifted. [37] The City of Everett was granted that appeal in July 2019; the case was referred back to the U.S. District Court, [38] where Judge Ricardo S. Martinez subsequently ruled against the city in October 2022, supporting the premise of the ordinance violating the Equal Protection Clause but rejecting the baristas' argument of it violating their freedom of expression. [39] [40]
In another incident, "Espresso Gone Wild" in Belfair, Washington was temporarily shut down by Mason County in August 2008. It drew the ire of Belfair residents. Mason County officials responded to complaints in the July 30, 2008 meeting by ruling the espresso stand is "erotic entertainment" and off limits in the Belfair area. The owners of "Espresso Gone Wild" in Belfair were being told that their baristas were violating an erotic entertainment ordinance. They were also told that their baristas need to cover up and clean up their act or the stand would be shut down permanently. Mason County Commissioner Tim Sheldon said the owners of "Espresso Gone Wild" are welcome to open a coffee shop and compete with all the other coffee shops in town. Sheldon also says the owners can not sell sex and coffee on the side. [41] [42] "Espresso Gone Wild" in Belfair, Washington was prohibited from allowing employees to wear pasties and their baristas now wear bikinis. [15] Residents in another community have surveilled a local stand and called for boycotts of companies whose employees patronize the establishments. [43]
In Yakima, Washington, a bikini bar owner was sentenced to 100 hours of community service and fined $1,000 [44] because, at the coffee shop, the barista "wore shorts determined to be both too skimpy and too sheer. A city ordinance bans bikini baristas from wearing G-strings and see-through clothing." [45] The barista was charged but acquitted by the jury in the indecent exposure case. [44]
Some entrepreneurs have opened bikini barista stores with success outside the Seattle area, including in Raleigh, North Carolina, [46] Aurora, Colorado, [47] Portland, Oregon, [48] Youngstown, Ohio, [49] Tampa, Florida, [50] Pasadena, Maryland, [51] Chatsworth, Georgia, [52] Las Vegas, [53] [54] Texas, and Missouri. [55] [56] A company called "Baristas" has been dubbed the Hooters of coffee due to its size and popularity in the market. [57] Hooters is a place in which scantily clad women serve food and drinks to patrons.
A Los Angeles area store called "Bikini Espresso" only lasted four months in the Los Angeles area in 2009, and closed with complaints of over-regulation. [58]
One chain in particular called "Bottoms Up Espresso", [59] who have expanded into multiple Northern California markets including locations in Modesto, [60] Tracy, Clovis, Bakersfield, and Vernalis has quickly become a favorite among social media users with their baristas featured regularly on the website The Chive [61] and other popular websites. With the brands growing popularity they have expanded into a mobile food truck style service and expanded into its line of merchandise including yearly calendars featuring their current line up of bikini baristas.[ citation needed ]
Two bikini barista businesses opened in northwest Fresno, California, Java Girls Espresso and Pink Pantherz Espresso, c. mid 2014. [62]
In a column published in Sociological Images , the sociologist Lisa Wade used the bikini barista as a launching point for a discussion of the boundaries of sex work. [73] The question has also been the subject of an essay published in The Atlantic . [74]
Cappuccino is an espresso-based coffee drink that is traditionally prepared with steamed milk including a layer of milk foam.
Espresso is a concentrated form of coffee produced by forcing hot water under high pressure through finely-ground coffee beans. Originating in Italy, espresso has become one of the most popular coffee-brewing methods worldwide. It is characterized by its small serving size, typically 25–30 ml, and its distinctive layers: a dark body topped with a lighter-colored foam called crema.
A barista is a person, usually a coffeehouse employee, who prepares and serves espresso-based coffee drinks and other beverages.
Caffè latte, often shortened to just latte in English, is a coffee drink of Italian origin made with espresso and steamed milk, traditionally served in a glass. Variants include the chocolate-flavored mocha or replacing the coffee with another beverage base such as masala chai, mate, matcha, turmeric or rooibos; alternatives to milk, such as soy milk, almond milk or oat milk, are also used.
Tully's Coffee is an American specialty coffee manufacturing brand owned by Keurig Dr Pepper, which acquired Tully's brand and wholesale business in 2009.
A flat white is a coffee drink consisting of espresso and steamed milk. It generally has a higher proportion of espresso to milk than a caffè latte, and lacks the thick layer of foam in a cappuccino. While the origin of the flat white is unclear, various café owners in Australia and New Zealand claim its invention.
Milk coffee is a category of coffee-based drinks made with milk. Johan Nieuhof, the Dutch ambassador to China, is credited as the first person to drink coffee with milk when he experimented with it around 1660.
Espresso Vivace is a Seattle area coffee shop and roaster known for its coffee and roasting practices. Vivace's owner, David Schomer, is credited with developing and popularizing latte art in the United States.
Latte art is a method of preparing coffee created by pouring microfoam into a shot of espresso and resulting in a pattern or design on the surface of the latte. It can also be created or embellished by simply "drawing" in the top layer of foam. Latte art is particularly difficult to create consistently, due to the demanding conditions required of both the espresso shot and milk. This, in turn, is limited by the experience of the barista and quality of the espresso machine. The term also applies to other beverages containing milk foam, such as cappuccino and hot chocolate.
Xen Coffee is an independent siphon coffee bar in Hong Kong. Xen Coffee's first coffee shop was in Quarry Bay. Xen Coffee serves highly selective coffee varieties from Africa, Indonesia, Central and South Americas.
Third-wave coffee is a movement in coffee marketing emphasizing high quality. Beans are typically sourced from individual farms and are roasted more lightly to bring out their distinctive flavors. Though the term was coined in 1999, the approach originated in the 1970s, with roasters such as the Coffee Connection.
James Alexander Hoffmann is an English barista, YouTuber, entrepreneur, coffee consultant, and author. Hoffmann first came to prominence after winning the World Barista Championship in 2007 and has since been credited as a pioneer of Britain's third-wave coffee movement. Hoffmann has published three books, including The World Atlas of Coffee, amassed a significant following on YouTube, started several businesses, including the specialty coffee roaster Square Mile Coffee Roasters, and consulted for several coffee ventures.
David Schomer is a co-founder of Espresso Vivace. The Seattle Times said "Schomer is as influential in the gourmet coffee world as Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz is in the mainstream coffee industry."
The Last Exit on Brooklyn was a Seattle University District coffeehouse established in 1967 by Irv Cisski. It is known for its part in the history of Seattle's counterculture, for its pioneering role in establishing Seattle's coffee culture, and as a former chess and go venue frequented by several master players.
Café con piernas is a coffee shop style popular in Chile where the service staff are all or nearly all attractive women dressed in revealing clothing. Coffee shops with waitresses serving in miniskirts and heels to businessmen had long been popular, but bikinis and similar attire accelerated the trend by the mid-1990s. The shops are very numerous and popular in Santiago. It is frequently noted that the shops seem to contradict Chile's traditionally conservative culture.
Seattle is regarded as a world center for coffee roasting and coffee supply chain management. Related to this, many of the city's inhabitants are coffee enthusiasts; the city is known for its prominent coffee culture and numerous coffeehouses.
Monorail Espresso is a coffeehouse in Seattle. It is notable as having been founded as the first espresso cart in the world. An espresso cart is a food cart from which a barista can make espresso. The business now operates as a walkup window with multiple locations.
Spella Caffè is a coffee shop in Portland, Oregon, United States. Andrea Spella started the business as a cart in 2006, before opening a brick and mortar space in downtown Portland in 2010. The business has garnered a positive reception, and has been cited as an influence for other coffee company founders.
Ghost Alley Espresso is a coffee shop located at Pike Place Market in Seattle, Washington, United States. The business operates in a former service room for bathroom attendants on Post Alley, close to the Gum Wall. The current owner Michael Buchwald purchased the business from Mercedes Carrabba, who used the shop as a starting location for ghost tours. The space is supposedly haunted by the ghost of Arthur Goodwin, a former manager of Pike Place Market.
Barista is a small chain of coffee shops in Portland, Oregon, in the United States. Owner Billy Wilson opened the original location in Northwest Portland's Pearl District in 2009; subsequent locations opened in Northeast Portland's Vernon neighborhood in 2010, in downtown Portland's Hamilton Building in 2012, and in Northwest Portland's Northwest District in 2013. Barista also operates a fifth shop in Pine Street Market called Brass Bar.