Shirtless Men Now Serving Up 'Hot Cups of Joe'
It's an extra steamy Valentine's Day this year in Spokane, Wash. That's because locals can now grab their morning coffee from a new shop serving up a typical cup of joe-all made by shirtless male baristas.
In response to a Spokane "bikini barista" tradition, where bikini-clad (and sometimes topless) women serve coffee all around town, Chris Mullins, 28, has opened a place for women to get their naked coffee fix.
"I've been in the adult entertainment industry for a few years, and I have a lot of friends who are bikini baristas," Mullins said. "Being in this industry I kind of know that women have been screaming for something like this, especially with the recent Hollywood 'Magic Mike'-type craze. Well, now they have a way to see it in person, plus they can get a great cup of coffee while doing it."
Aptly named "Hot Cup of Joe," the shop is serving up java daily starting at 5 a.m.
"The city's kind of put the foot down on me, but customer reaction's been great. Ever since we opened this morning, we've had people at the window and good reviews from both men and women alike," Mullins said. "Obviously we're catering to women because men have had bikini stands for a while, and we want to give something to them, but we want men to come in too."
Mullins originally debated appealing to male customers with $1 off their orders, but he said he wanted to make the shop an equal opportunity environment.
"What we're doing is just a classier, sexier Hanes commercial in real life. We're not going to be able to please everybody," Mullins said. "There's a market for everyone and everything out there. If people don't want to sit here and see some classy guys in classy outfits that just happened to be ripped and hot and making coffees, then they can go get coffee where that's not going on."