Bikini Baristas Charged With Prostitution

Coffee shop owner faces 90 days in prison over workers' attire

(NEWSER) - Washington state has seen a racy new trend in the last few years: that of "bikini baristas" who use skimpy attire to sell coffee in this most competitive of markets. Bikini baristas have been charged with prostitution and indecent exposure, but only now has one of the cases made its way through court. The owner of Yakima's DreamGirls was found guilty of indecent exposure by requiring employees to wear bikini tops and short, nearly see-through shorts. More»

This cup o' joe is quite fancy

(NEWSER) - Attention coffee snobs: You have a new mecca. Starting today Café Grumpy in (where else?) New York will offer a $12 cup of coffee. That’s just coffee—not a cappuccino or a latte—so why the high price tag? “There are flavors you would expect in a really nice glass of wine,” the president of the distribution company tells the New York Post , going so far as to call it “a cacophony of nuances.” More»

This sure ain't Starbucks, so don't go in blind

(NEWSER) - Americans love their coffee, and if you’re among those who are way beyond Folgers and are starting to tire of chains like Starbucks and Peet’s, perhaps you’re ready for the so-called “third wave.” Cafés of this genre offer high-quality coffees—drip and espresso—often roasted on the premises, and can tell you pretty specifically about each kind of bean they’ve ground—just then, and for just one cup—to make it. More»

(NEWSER) - Many Americans fantasized of tuning in, dropping out, and working at Starbucks, Mary Schmich writes in the Chicago Tribune, but that dream died with the economic slowdown. “Starbucks was the great American backup plan,” Schmich writes. “The emergency exit. The parachute,” fueled by the “promise of part-time employment, a pleasant workplace, health care and free coffee.” More»

(NEWSER) - Coffee is pretty serious stuff in Portland, Oregon, but a relatively new shop on the block is taking the preparation of caffeinated beverages to a rarified extreme, the New York Times reports. The Ladybug Organic Coffee Company requires applicants for barista positions to fill out a five-page application, complete with 10 essay questions such as “What is something that you do on a regular basis to make the world a better place?” More»