Enjoying coffee with a line of baristas wearing sexy bikinis is certainly an amazing sight for men. Bikini Beans Espresso in Phoenix, arizona’s first café run entirely by bikini-clad women, did.
Since its launch in 2014, the company has opened a second-closest store in the City of Tempes and has franchises across the country, including Washington.
Far from exploiting the women who work there, Bikini Beans Espresso insists, their brand is about the advancement of women’s rights. According to a statement on their website, their mission aims to ’empower and inspire everyone to live life to the fullest’.
“Women everywhere have the right to vote, be gay, be community leaders and successful business owners, or even run for president!”
“We have the right to work with compassion, confidence and dignity, regardless of whether it’s a business suit, scrub or bikini.”
Bikini Beans Espresso has attracted attention, but not a few critics. Just before it opened in 2014, Tempe City councilman Kolby Granville protested on Facebook.
“I hate this. Hate that. I’ve spent the last three years training Jr. High Girl’s Cross Country to tell young girls that they can be human, and they’ll look at your store and be told that their greatest value is as an object of desire.”
The post has again attracted criticism. However, in the author’s opinion, Granville was not wrong, and he was not alone. The girls at BBE in Washington have adopted a more relaxed dress code, when you start in a bikini.
Carlie-Jo Howell’s owner serves coffee by wearing nipple pastels, straps and suspenders or trouser fastener belts. His business has a 4.5 out of 5 rating, but doesn’t sit well with Spokane City councilman Mike Fagan.
In an interview with Zagat, Fagan revealed, “It should be all about coffee and not all about the body, it’s exploitation of women, it’s a huge cultural problem that Americans have faced for a long time.”
Behind the business that is said to sell “sex”, Bikini Beans Espresso was created through the idea of a married couple, Ben and Regina Lyles. They are pictured on the Bikini Beans Espresso website along with their adorable daughter Audriana. There are no clues whatsoever that suggest they are planning worldly based trading.
Originally from Seattle, the couple moved to Phoenix, Arizona, in 2014 and quickly integrated into the ‘Phoenix’ small business and coffee community.
Despite being at home to world-class attractions like the Desert Botanical Garden, Phoenix Zoo and camelback mountains, as a former barista, Regina feels something is missing from Phoenix, and it’s a boost about coffee where people are drawn to visiting her tavern, and the ranks of waiters serving scantily clad.
“The coffee is amazing,” said one reviewer named Dalton.
Another big thumb came from Mike, “The coffee is awesome. I’ll go again.”
Not only do men fall in love with Bikini Beans Espresso, many women love it too. Shelia, one of the die-hard fans, asked customers not to look at the clothes of the waitress girls at the coffee shop.
“Good coffee is served by fantastic and magical women. I have an amazing big latte.”
The menu at Bikini Beans Espresso consists of protein shakes, smoothies and ‘Italian soda’. All coffee options have good names: there’s Blondie, described as a decadent caramel frappe, and Nutty Brunette, a mix of coffee and mixed snickers pieces.
