Interview: A real-life 'bodacious barista' speaks

As the result of a recent post -- Can Coffee Get Any Hotter? Seattle Spins "Sexpresso" about a new crop of java bars with female attendees offering "flirty service and revealing outfits"-- I was contacted by Debbie, a real-life "bodacious barista," who serves lattes and double macchiatos at an unnamed Seattle-area drive-through espresso bar. My interview with her follows:

How long have you been working as a so-called "bodacious barista"?
I started working nine months ago. Although I have been serving coffee long before on an island in the Puget Sound. On a hot day I would wear a tight tank top and shorts or a skirt. (It gets hot in the shack). I noticed my tips would double, if not triple. So let's see: I can dress in clothes that I am not comfortable in, and make $30-$40 a day in tips, or in something I enjoy wearing and make $100- $150 a day in tips.

What did you do before?
My first job was a barista 10 years ago.

Was there any initial hesitation taking this job?
None at all. I mean I wear a bathing suit that shows more cleavage and leg than I wear at work! I get to meet a lot of interesting people at what I do.

Did you have any additional training?
I got the hang of it right off. I did get a couple of steam burns and made a few wrong drinks, but it is not that hard if you keep organized.

Do you have to buy your own outfits?
At this shop, (name unmentioned) they give us a $75 dollar clothing allowance after our first month.

What are the outfits you normally wear?
I find I get more tips if I wear a white, almost see-thru tank top, with a blue or black bra under it, and a skirt. I tried a corset a couple of times but it is too binding when turning!

How do you decide what to wear on any given day?
I look in the mirror, then ask my husband what he thinks. He is my ultimate judge.

Are there theme days?
Yes, like the holidays. Christmas you wear reds and whites, Valentine's Day pinks, 4th of July... I think you get the picture.

Are your tips bigger on days you wear skimpier clothing?
About 30% bigger. The most I have made was about 5 years ago before all this hoopla over the bodacious baristas. It was almost 100 degrees out so I wore my 2-piece bikini with a wrap around my waist. I sold 300 drinks in 8 hours and made $400 in tips. And this on an island.

Do female customers act any differently than the men?
40% of my customers are women. I have never had a problem with women, been slipped a few numbers by them (women) -- more than I do the men.

Are the non-tip wages (hourly rates) decent?
Minimum wage, so okay. Some places take a portion of your tips, which is wrong.

Do you get benefits, etc.?
No benefits other than I enjoy what I do.

Is anyone rude or hostile?
You get them in every crowd. The one who wants a drink and it is 1⁄4 this 1⁄4 that 1⁄2 this, hold this add that... I give them the look of "how dull can your life be that you need to have a coffee drink that has 20 directions?"

How do you respond to people who say they are offended by your outfits?
The response depends on the person. I reply to most, "what would you wear in a little shack that is 20 degrees hotter inside than out?" I am polite in my answers, as I don't want to step down to the level of the person who is waiting for a snide reply. I believe in kill 'em with kindness.

B. Brandon Barker is the author of Operation EMU.