The smell of strong coffee lingers in the air as I witness a pretty, petite Asian girl in tight lacy lingerie swaying over to hand me my coffee.
The “coffee business” has been a quiet looming secret over the ages. Several locations lay low from the east side of San Jose all the way to Spokane, Washington, and word has quickly spread.
What makes these certain coffee shops different from your usual brew at Starbucks or Peet’s? Some say personal difference over quality of taste; others see the scandalous obvious option. The servers, mostly women, have opted to wear bikinis.
Many people question women who work at establishments that challenge their moral status. Mainstream media contend there is nothing wrong with these establishments. I agree. You can’t blame these women; the motto “sex sells” has been around for ages.
If people were to question the ethics of using your body/looks in order to sell a product when thinking about the coffee business, then that would mean you would have to question all business and startups that use the same type of tactic.
This includes the world-renowned lingerie brand, “Victoria’s Secret,” which is glamorously known for selling high-end women delicates. The coffee business similarly uses women’s sex appeal to promote a product, not necessarily sell sex.
I’m not the only one to notice the coffee business become a normality in society; others have noticed and started to defend these women. JustKiddingNews, a popular YouTube channel, filmed a short documentary in 2011 called “Cafe Lu — The Vietnamese Coffee shop,” focussing on the brave young women who got into the business.
Most girls were doing it for family, school, or personal reasons. These brought new insight into “the coffee business.” Natalie Ngan Nguyen, the owner of Cafe Lu, holds traditional catholic values but was forced to make her workers change attire to keep up with competition. But what makes this business any different than businesses like Hooters, which does the same thing?
I think this can be applied to the “coffee businessm” which is blooming and becoming a social norm. Regardless if you agree with it or not, the “coffee business” is here to stay.
Nangeli Alcantar is a Tower co-editor. Email her at nangeli.alcantar(at)gmail.com.