Beans & Bikinis

COEUR d'ALENE — It might be December, but at Kisses Espresso, it's always swimsuit weather.

The baristas who work at the former Pink Spot drive-up coffee stand, located at 3023 N. Government Way in Coeur d'Alene, have somewhat unusual uniforms — bikinis.

Except for Workout Wednesdays. Then it's yoga pants and sports bras.

"You can't have a stand like this and expect to be accepted by everyone," owner Jeffrey Middleton said Friday afternoon. "There are people who pull up who are surprised, but they're usually really nice."

One such surprised couple wrote a letter to the editor that was published in The Press on Dec. 2. Terry and Debbie Meece of Post Falls expressed their aversion to the unconventional practice of employees wearing racy bathing suits at work. For five days, the letter was one of the most highly read items on cdapress.com.

The Meeces stated they weren’t prepared for what they encountered when they visited the stand.

"Two young ladies, and I do believe they are ladies, dressed in skimpy bikinis bending over asking what we'd like. Did anyone mention it was 32 degrees?” the letter said. “Mr. owner, manager, young ladies; it was embarrassing and unnecessary. Point and case. Your competitor across the street was knee-deep in business and understand now why you had none. Truly would like to see you be successful as I was in that business years ago, but you don't have to sell a pound of flesh for a 12 oz. cup of coffee to make a mark in the community. Just look across the street as your example and if you're willing to take the higher grounds (pardon my pun) we and I'm quite sure others, will be your best customers."

According to Middleton, who purchased the stand in August of last year, business is actually doing quite well. Sales are up from last year, he said, and his cheery baristas make two or three times as much money as employees at typical coffee stands.

"The benefit is the tip," he said. "It's kind of a confidence booster, too."

Kisses is a beachwear stand, unlike the former business, where employees could wear sexy lingerie and other scanty garments. Employees must be at least 18. Lingerie coffee stands are becoming more common in cities such as Spokane and Seattle.

“Most of the concerns are, 'Well what if someone has kids?’ or ‘What if a school bus full of children drives by?’" said Kisses manager Miranda Corbin of Hayden, 23. "When it was the Pink Spot, it was more of a lingerie-style stand. When the new owners took over, they decided that since it is Idaho, we’re definitely more conservative than what you’ll find in Spokane … we don’t do any pasties, thongs, anything like that. Anything you see us wearing here will be basically the same thing you will see at any of the public beaches.”

Alexsis Ash, 21, of Rathdrum, has worked at a few different coffee stands where baristas are allowed to wear bikinis or lingerie. She said in North Idaho, beachwear is more accepted than lingerie, but some people still have reservations.

“You get all sorts of reactions," she said. "I’ve noticed here in Coeur d’Alene a lot of people are a little more against it; it’s more of a conservative area.”

The Meece letter generated buzz on The Press website, including a remark from Coeur d'Alene City Councilman Dan Gookin, who admitted to being playful in his "I think some research is in order" comment. In a phone interview, he said he has no problem with bikini coffee stands and he would have no interest in regulating them — "No harm, no foul."

"It’s a business. If you don’t want to go to that business, don’t go there," he said. "That’s the way the free market works."

Corbin said as of right now, Kisses is not breaking any rules.

"There are no legal issues with us being in a bikini and serving coffee," she said.

According to the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare Division of Health, code 2-304.11, "food employees shall wear clean outer clothing to prevent contamination of food, equipment, utensils, linens and single-service and single-use articles.”

Under "effectiveness" in the "hair restraints” section: "Food employees shall wear hair restraints such as hats, hair coverings or nets, beard restraints and clothing that covers body hair" to keep hair from coming into contact with exposed food. However, this does not apply to counter staff who serve only beverages and wrapped or packaged food.

Kisses is mainly a beverage business, but Corbin said it can legally serve "non-hazardous foods" such as muffins and bagels with cream cheese packets. Middleton said he intends to get a food license for the stand, but the menu would most likely only expand to include pre-packaged sandwiches, which would not breach the health codes.

"The type of food license that we’re looking at, we’re very limited," Middleton said. "We haven't gotten too far into that."

As far as security for his scantily clad employees, Middleton said it is an absolute priority. He and the staff frequently have meetings to discuss safety, he has constant access to the full audio and video that are always recording, cameras are positioned to clearly show customers' faces and license plates and employees have access to protective items such as pepper spray and Tasers. He said Kisses has the best business neighbors, too, who are willing to keep on the lookout for creeps.

"We have a lot of protection," he said.

Keeping the bikini baristas warm is also not a problem. The stand has several heaters, plus espresso machines and other equipment that generate heat.

"We're not trying to freeze them to death," Middleton said. "There are three heaters in there."

In Post Falls, Sling Shots Espresso baristas stopped wearing racy clothing two years ago. They did it for five years, including dress-up days such as "Fantasy Friday," but owner Sheena Clark of Post Falls said the employees were getting tired of "perverts" and the wrong kind of attention.

"We felt uncomfortable at work,” she said. "After five years, it got kind of old."

Despite her business departing from the sexy side of coffee, Clark said bikini stands are really not a big deal.

"If you don’t like it, just don’t go there," she said. "And if you like it, go there."

Kisses customer Zachary Breeden of Kingsport, Tenn., didn't know swimwear was the norm at the coffee stand, but he didn't think it was anything to get upset about.

"I’m kind of more open-minded," he said. "I think it’s cool. It's really great for business too because there's a lot of those guys, and some women, that are like, ‘Heeey,' but I think if you’re going to stick a chick in there in a bikini, then you need to stick a man in there with a thong. Hey, I’m just saying, I don’t go that way, but just out of sexual equality, gender equality ... I’m sure if I pulled up with my wife she wouldn’t mind seeing a pretty girl like that or a hot guy with a six-pack and a thong. You throw (actor) Jensen Ackles in there, she’d be all over it, it would be her favorite coffee place in the whole damn state."

Breeden said the coffee's good, too.

"To me that’s all that really matters," he said. "I don’t care to look at a pretty chick if the coffee’s bad. If the coffee's bad, I wouldn’t come back."

Middleton owns the coffee stand with his wife, Jackie, who actually worked as a bikini barista for a little while.

"I loved when my wife worked here," he said, explaining that she was wonderful with customers and enjoyed the confidence boost that comes with an appreciation of inner — and outer — beauty.

Middleton said customers are expected to treat the baristas with respect, and that the mostly male clientele is usually polite if not flirty.

On the subject of men being hired as baristas, Kisses is a ladies-only business ... for now.

He said they do sometimes receive resumes from men.

“I’ll respond to them, ‘You know you’d be required to wear a bikini. How do you feel about that?” Corbin said with a laugh. “Usually, I don’t get a response back.”