Bikini Cafes of Seattle

Thirsty for their morning coffee, visitors to Seattle will be pleased to find a wealth of drive-through coffee shops around the city. But if they unwittingly choose a shop like ICandy, Cowgirls Espresso, or Peek-A-Brew, they’ll be in for a shock, receiving sexiness with their scones and bikinis with their brew.

While Portland is the home of the vegan strip club, Seattle one-ups their scantily clad female workers with its bikini cafes, the Hooters of all coffee shops. There are now over a dozen bikini cafes across Seattle, each of which serve coffee from the hands of a mostly nude “bikini barista.” Or, in bikini cafe lingo, “sexpresso” from the hands of a “bareista.”

The tradition of the bikini cafe most likely began with Cowgirls Espresso. In 2003, as the sweltering summer heat made working conditions in the 70-square-foot cart quite uncomfortable, the baristas pleaded to their manager to let them wear bikinis to cool off. After the manager accepted the request, the partial nudity drew in dozens of new customers. This surge in popularity led to “Bikini Wednesday” and ultimately the phenomenon we have today, where bikini baristas sport their swimsuits seven days a week.

Of course, the idea of a bikini barista is controversial. But despite the sexism and allegations of prostitution, the bikini cafes remain thriving in Seattle. They can also be found in Japan and Chile as well.