In an area where good coffee is ubiquitous, how does one business stand apart from another? A diverse selection of low-fat bran muffins? Not for me. Free Norah Jones CD samplers? Nope. Sheer, baby-doll negligees with thigh-high boots? Sold.According to The Seattle Times, along the cluttered roadsides of Seattle's commuter towns, drive-through espresso bars are going to creative lengths to attract business, well, male business at least. These caffeinated joints feature "bodacious" baristas offering not just double macchiatos with almond biscotti, but "flirty service and revealing outfits" (including lingerie and "fetish" ensembles) at establishments with names such as Moka Girls, Bikini Espresso and Natté Latté.
While drive-throughs have long been part of Starbucks Corp (NASDAQ:SBUX)'s business, many independent espresso stands popped up after the state's smoking ban went into effect a year ago. Says Lori Bowden, owner of Tukwila, Washington's Cowgirls Espresso stand, owners of bars, casinos and convenience-stores at that time began renting parking lot spots to espresso stands. And while the debate rages over who started the whole Red Light District element, no one argues that the Git-R-Done nation -- who might never have entered a Starbucks -- are now frequenting their establishments many times a day.
Offended local businesses have set up surveillance but no laws have been broken, as private parts -- including buttocks -- are always covered. Says Bowden, in spite of customer requests "there will be no 'Thong Thursdays.'"
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Reader Comments (Page 10 of 10)
1-31-2007 @ 7:05AM
Luv said...
I have a serious question is we inviting pedophiles to act out if they are attracted to this?
As for myself I would only flaunt for my hubby, which he only agrees with but he breaks his neck looking. But He Stays at home with me, and thats were he receives his Luv
2-01-2007 @ 7:30AM
Michelle said...
They forgot Super Slutty Saturday's and Sexy Seductive Sundays. If that's what it takes for them to sell coffee....they're pretty weak and shallow.
2-15-2007 @ 10:43AM
Mike said...
This is a funny topic, some think it's exploitation and some say it's all about a piece of ass. I wonder if women didn't have that attractive sexy look about them if they would be a lonesome sort. In some cases like once a month you can't tolerate some of them, the other three weeks they look SEXY in their coffee serving clothes.
Life is easier if we take care of ourselves and not pry into someone elses business!
2-15-2007 @ 1:59AM
Alan Cohen said...
You folks are all missing the point here. The so called sexploitation started from a smoking ban in the state. When people can't go to a bar, or a restaurant, or a coffee shop and light up a smoke to have with their coffee and donut, and maybe talk to a friend with them, what else is there but to grab a cup of joe and sit in your own car where you can sip and smoke with no police hassles. If these new places are using sex to sell, it will work. The ones to blame for the sexploitation are the narrow minded dumb butt politicians eho enacted the smoking ban to begin with. Short sighted politicians are the bane of the people. They forget who elected them into office. And all the individuals, businesses and anyone else who suffered from the smoking ban in lost revenue will remember who did what to them, and those that did it you won't see in office when their terms are up!
2-19-2007 @ 8:55PM
eire said...
ok Two easy things to consider here. 10,000+ years of evolution and Hooters proves to be a good start for any food/drink related business. Count me in when it goes public.
2-21-2007 @ 10:10AM
usalatte.com said...
More T&A AND more latte!
2-24-2007 @ 2:55PM
John Genuardi said...
this type of marketing just shows how competitive the coffee selling business is... but give me good cup of coffee and good customer service at a fair price and I will avoid these gimmicks..
3-02-2007 @ 5:33AM
DR DICK said...
JUST BEEN WAITING FOR ANOTHER HOOTERS CONCEPT.
HERE IT IS !
NEXT, GUYS IN MUSCLE SHIRTS FOR YOU LADIES !
OR, BOTH
3-03-2007 @ 1:16PM
Isiah Baruch Cohen said...
No one is being exploited if they agree to work there for one.
Two, why does creativity fall under such scrutiny always?
Starbucks has used every underhanded way to bring coffee to every corner of America and of course sex is a bad thing.
If sex is so wrong why are you here?
I don't know that you'd be here otherwise....?
So what's wrong with people who want to be sexy?
Are you so tense that you can't loosen up and let other people....DO AS THEY PLEASE?
It's very obvious that there is little here but much will be said.
But no one is being hurt or exploited and the customers are making teh choice to patronize it.
This is America and we should love it because freedom to choose is something we still have left here.
Not every country has that. "sexpresso" would be shot or stoned in the middle east.
As always, ADULTS
If you don't like it, leave or don't look.
Females are hired because men are suckers and will probably tip more and Men cannot get over themselves enough to actually do the job they are.
So get over it.
It's SEX
SEX
SEX
SEX!!
People LIKE sex.
People LOVE sex.
I like how our country is still based on a puritan value system from 400 years ago even today.
Give me a break and go pay Starbucks to steal more coffee from Africa.
3-03-2007 @ 1:52PM
shaz said...
These girls age 16-23 are begging to be liked and thought of as HOT, they line up for these jobs!
Most teen girls would rather be Hot & Sexy
than Smart & Chubby!
If they already look good enough for these jobs than they have probably already been hit on by their teachers, coaches, neighbors, & male relatives. They already know what men like!
They are just serving coffee now getting ready to be strippers, gogo dancers, internet models, escorts or maybe pop stars like Britney or Lindsey!
3-03-2007 @ 2:12PM
Dale said...
I once had a female sociologist complain to me about how porno, and things like what we're on about here, are exploiting women. I mentally agreed with her for a while, then I watched a porno and looked at a "dirty" magazine and noticed that NONE of those women seemed to be doing what they were doing because someone was holding a gun to their heads! They all seemed to be having a GREAT time with it! Just in case any of you haven't noticed, women dig sex just as much as men do. Would most of us be here if they didn't? As what was said here numerous times before, nobody MAKES them do this stuff!! If that WAS the case, people like Larry Flint and even Hugh Hefner would've been in jail LOOOONG ago!!
If wearing slinky, revealing clothing is so offensive to women, why do you all INSIST on buying it and wearing it?? Remember the Wonder Bra about 10 years ago? Lingerie shops couldn't keep them on the shelves!! Why?? Because women wanted to look like they had bigger tits! Why? To be more attractive to men! You know who made out on the deal? Wonder Bra!! They had you paying, what, $50.00 or more for a pair tit pants with a silicone padding. I've looked through a few ads in an online bra dealership, the name of which I can't remember, but I remember that they sell quite a few bras for well over $100.00 each!! Who has that kind of money to waste on something just holds up your girls?? Hell! Give me that kind of money and I'll be GLAD to walk around behind you all day holding them up (AND keeping them nice and warm, too) for you!!
Anyway, if you had an aversion to weraring, or being seen in, slinky, revealing clothing, all you have to do is buy loose-fitting pants and a baggy top and you never have to worry about being objectified again for anything other than your face and hair.
Did you ever notice how at fancy dinners and things of that sort (an awards show, etc.) all the men in the room are wearing the EXACT same thing!! But if two women wear the exact same thing you're libel to see a cat fight, or you'll see one of them leave and come back wearing something else. Most of the dresses women wear are sexy looking and quite revealing: a neck line in the front that goes to the navel, a neck line in the back that goes down to the crack of her ass. Hmmm, can't imagine why someone as objectified and exploited as that would want to wear something of that sort.
Anytime I have a girlfriend, I don't exaclty care what she wears, I love her for HER, not her clothes! Too bad women can't see guys that way, they'll go after a guy in fancy clothes who will be more prone to abuse the woman, than to go after a guy in normal clothes that'd love them no matter what. I know!! I'm that guy!! I've had SOOOO many women friends in my life cry on my shoulder about how badly their guy treats them, and then, instead of giving me a try, or at least leaving that guy and finding someone else, they go back to the abuser!! Or, they'll take the fancy dresser over me in the first place and THEN cry on my shoulder about how nasty he is to her and then continue to stay with him. I mean, if it helps her out, I really don't mind being an emotional tampon, but it's BIG waste of time if you're not going to listen to what I say and leave his sorry ass when you ask me for help. Sorry, a bit of topic.
Men are much more visually oriented than women, sexually speaking, which is why there's, what, 3 porno magazines on the stands geared towards women? This is also why you don't see as many women wanting to see half naked guys serving coffee, or what have you. A few years ago, you may remember, a guy tried to get a job as a waiter in Hooters! He'd even go so far as to wear the short shorts, the pantyhose (shave his legs, too) and the tight shirt, but they wouldn't let him work there. That's exploitation!! Do you women like being told you can't work in a place where only men are hired even though you can possibly do the same job better than most of the guys? I'm sure there's women that'd go to Hooters and would like to see a sexy looking guy serve them. Here's another difference between men & women, guys go to a strip club and they just sit there very placidly and watch the woman do her thing on stage. But, if you've ever seen women watching a Chipendale's exhibit, you'd be lucky to hear the person sitting next to you trying to say something to you for all the shouting a whooping that women do just because they see a guy with no shirt on. Same thing happens when, for instance, their fave actor takes off their shirt on something like The Tonight Show. I recently saw a piece of a Bruce Springsteen concert and women brazenly walked up on stage and attacked him sexually! If I did that to Debby Harry, I'd get carted off for sexual harrassment!! The guy could hardly play the song he was in the middle of because of all the women that would just walk up on stage, throw him to the floor and kiss him like his life depened on it! They simply got escorted back to the seats by a roadie. If I were to do that to Debbie Harry, I'd have been tossed in jail!! What happened to the good old days when women would throw their panties at Tom Jones? Oh! Sorry! That was another example of women being exploited, wasn't it? They didn't throw their panties at Tom, he simply created a kind of vortex on stage that cause their panties to be sucked off of them and fly onto the stage in his face.
Look, girl's (AND guys!!), it's just skin! There are TONS of guys out there who get off on your feet, or your legs or even your hands or your hair the way most guys get off your breasts, your ass and your vagina, but you don't go around hiding your feet or legs, or the other bits, do you? Maybe, just maybe, if you'd let the twins, or your ass, come out and play more often, you wouldn't be as objectified over them anymore. About 100 years ago, it was considered very racy for a woman to show her ANKLE!! Now, except for those guys that get off on such things, a glimpse of ankle means nothing to a guy, or a woman. There are quite a few other societies on the planet that have NO qualms at all about women walking around topless 24/7!! I don't know for sure, but I'm willing to bet that they have fewer sexually related problems with it than we do with women in a bikini or a tight tank top. This is the 21st century, NOT the 19th!!
I can't for the life of me understand why it's pefectly okay for us to see a guy's nipples in public, but not a woman's! What makes them different?? It's the exact same part!! It's the BREASTS that women have that men don't, yet that part is perfectly fine for the world to look at. I've seen women on a beach wearing nothing but little round Band-Aids on their nipples!! But it's quite alright to show off the rest of the breasts. Maybe men should do that, too.
How exploited are the women in New Orleans during Mardi Gras who flash their tits, and, from what I've seen recently, their vaginas now, for nothing more than a worthless string of plastic beads?? Hey, I just call `em as I see `em, kids. To me, the Emperor is naked!
Anyway, so what if the woman want's to wear revealing clothing to get bigger tips! In that vein, the guy was VERY right by saying it's us men who are being exploited by this! You're using sex to seperate us from our money. Sex as a weapon, once again. But, still, I would have NO trouble at all with letting my daughter (if I had one), or my wife or girlfriend (if I had one) work there, as long as she's not hurting anyone and as long as she's happy with her work, she could walk around completely naked for all I care. The less you make a big deal out of seeing a woman naked, the less objectified she becomes! Why is it okay to see statues of naked women, but a tastefuly done photograph of a naked woman, even striking the exact same pose, is considered pornography? For all the nude statues and paintings made centuries ago, it seems to me that they had very little problem with nudity back then. They were probably more grown up than we like to think we are. Here we are, the modern world, in the land of the "free", and nudity of ANY sort is a big no-no!! Too bad you people can't take issues with something that's much more important, like this stupid war; AGAINST THE WRONG PEOPLE, I might add!! Or religion, which causes war.
You're obviously too hung up on this, I only hope you can grow up and get over it some day.
3-03-2007 @ 2:21PM
Dale said...
Can someone PLEASE explain to me how the smoking ban has ANYTHING even REMOTELY to do with women wearing sexy clothes to sell coffee!!???? All this time, I thought it was all about bussing kids to different schools that caused these women to wear sexy clothes at coffee shops!!
3-09-2007 @ 12:39PM
Whatever said...
It's no different really from hooters or men's clubs etc - the women choose to work there. It's a little unfortunate for the female customers although they can always choose not to get their esspresso there...I don't support allowing high school workers (even if they're 18 they should be out of school)...and as long as the perve who gets obsessed with one of the girls and decides to wait for her in the parking lot after her shift is over stays away, then it's all good! If I owned a stand of my own of this kind it would be called "Ho Jo's" haha
1-17-2008 @ 12:50AM
Robin said...
Stacy, Melissa,
If guys in thongs serving coffee worked as a business case, this would exist. Science claims (correctly I believe) that men are much more visually oriented than women. The idea of women as the "fairer" sex seems consistent with this. (From the point of view of basic sex-neutral visual aesthetics of graphic design, many artists of both sex agree on this). There is no sexist boogie man making sure that there is a dominance of material containing the female body. And there is no female angel making sure that no-one starts businesses featuring the male body. It is natural science and market that responds to that reality.
4-04-2007 @ 8:27PM
B said...
this is just disgusting
4-04-2007 @ 10:26PM
Alex said...
Let's face it, people, the hope of sex sells more than sex itself does. When you have a world full of hungry people, even a picture of food becomes an object of veneration. As for the women; I know lots of women in similar jobs and a lot of them are thankful they've got something to shake in order to make a buck. Some use their coin to go to school; some to snatch a man and his bank account. I don't blame them. Better that than starve as a peon working swing shift without hope of a better life.
4-05-2007 @ 2:05AM
Mike said...
Oh come on, people. Cowgirls Espresso's slogan is that their coffee is "udderly the best" while the employees have their titties hanging out. Don't try and tell me that isn't derogatory. I think that's taking the view of women as "a piece of meat" a little too far.