Topless coffee shop a hit in small Maine town

[Aerin]

http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/02/27/top...hop/index.html

It's a tough time for businesses, but one entrepreneur may have found the recipe for success.

On Monday, Donald Crabtree opened Grand View Topless Coffee Shop in Vassalboro, Maine, where the waiters and waitresses serve their customers topless.

In a town with fewer than 4,500 residents, the topless coffee shop is booming with business. Paul Crabtree, the owner's brother, describes business so far as "fantastic."

"It's just been crowds mobbing in," he said.

Donald Crabtree faced initial opposition to his plan, but he won the right to go ahead in a planning board hearing last week. Many local residents were irate over the idea of combining coffee and nudity. Crabtree, however, saw a profitable business venture.

"I know what people want," he said. "People like nudity, and coffee is profitable. Sure, I'd start a coffee shop, but I'd be out of work in a week."

The flood of job applications -- more than 150 -- for Grand View Topless Coffee Shop reflected the rough job market.

Crabtree hired 10 women and five men under stringent requirements, including friendliness and, what he considered most important, that the wait staff "treat everyone equally."

"We didn't hire '10s,' " he said, referring to appearance. "We hired everyone from skinny to big-boned women."

Of the 15 selected, most had been laid off from other jobs in the past few months.

Elvis Thompson of Brunswick, for example, was a line cook at a restaurant before he lost his job. "They couldn't afford me anymore," he said.

He said he doesn't mind fielding interesting requests from customers.

"An 80-year-old woman told me she wanted to see me in spandex," Thompson said. "I just feel really lucky to have a job. I need the money so I can pay my rent."

Ginni Labree from Palermo, Maine, said she applied to several restaurants before being hired at the Grand View. All the restaurants declined to hire her because of her lack of experience.

"I'm so excited, so excited to have a job," she said.

The coffee shop jobs are paying off. One waitress received a $100 tip for a cup of coffee, and most of the wait staff make about $30 a table.

Although the topless coffee shop has been open less than a week, Crabtree said he is already seeing regulars. Customers include a variety of individuals, but mainly couples and females.

He also sees his new business venture as a temporary fix for customers struggling through tough economic times.

"The economy is so bad," Crabtree said, "Everyone's losing their homes, their ties, everything they own. People leave here happy and can't wait to come back. It's nice to see people smile again."

Not exactly a new idea but interesting to see how well it's doing. That's why so many of these small coffee shops here in Washington stay afloat. All of them have good looking girls and half are only in bikini's, or less(or so I've heard).

Oh ya and brb, going to Maine real quick.

[_chuchu]

A nice sight for sore eyes

[Ashira]

It's on our news like every morning. Caused a big hoopla when they were going for permits and whatnot, people were like 'what's the point, why not just a coffee shop.' The guy admitted it's yes, for the money - it's in a location that businesses have been failing in for the last several years. But it is nice to hear they're doing well, there are a lot of people in need of jobs here - just hope it keeps up for them, and isn't just the novelty thing.

As to hiring '10s' or not, the news stories i saw with interviews with employees certainly focused on the better looking employees, haha.

[Ramor]

They've had a topless coffee shop at Mike's Showplace (now platinum plus) in Portland for a while, I'm not sure why this is news

edit: also, from the areas they're describing i'd wager a guess that no '10s' applied would be the reason why they didn't hire any >_>, might as well have gone to ogunquit and picked up 15 random people

[Ashira]

Well, Portland is our major city - a bit different I guess from some random little spot on a state route in Vassalboro that had to get permits from the town in a big public hoopla and all. /shrug

[Viq]

They've had a topless coffee shop at Mike's Showplace (now platinum plus) in Portland for a while, I'm not sure why this is news

edit: also, from the areas they're describing i'd wager a guess that no '10s' applied would be the reason why they didn't hire any >_>, might as well have gone to ogunquit and picked up 15 random people

What?! First they get the Sea Dogs, now topless coffee shop?! I'll be spending a lot of time in Portland this summer.

[Boyiee]

A nice sight for sore eyes

No.

Topless men, and there is no weight requirement if you know what I mean. They don't hire Models etc.

[Azalee]

As the OP mentioned they have been doing lots of Bikini baristas and such in Washington. Another popular one is the "Cowboys" coffee shops where the girls dress in scanty cowgirl outfits. If I recall, over this last summer there was a big fuss in one city over people going to get coffees with their kids in the car and being served by girls in Bikinis... Shortly after you see the coffee shop signs that say, "If you want bikinis, go to the beach!" and "Family friendly coffee", etc... Personally, I don't give a shit how people want to run their businesses. Obviously this is working really well for the person who started the business, so more power to him.

[Katlan]

They've had a topless coffee shop at Mike's Showplace (now platinum plus) in Portland for a while, I'm not sure why this is news

Prolly cause it's a small town and stuff like this is big news. My parents have a Vacation house in Port Angeles Washington; & when I went w/ them there growing up I was amused at how the radio news station would report somebody's Super Nintendo being stolen (yeah this was back in the day, but small town big news)

[Ramor]

Small town news is pretty funny I guess, I remember going up to East Grand Lake (borders Canadia) and the news stories they had there were hilarious, I'm surprised they managed to fill up the paper as well as they did every day.

Again I'm not so sure I'd like this particular coffee shop, when I go home again for Spring Break I may pop in to see what it's all about though.

[Ziero]

Can't believe it hasn't been said yet

This thread is worthless without pics.

[Zeb]

If you've read the article, you'd realize you don't want to see pics. Us Mainuhs have no shame.

[Ramor]

There'd only be a few select people you'd want to see topless, and I really don't think any of them work at that particular shop.

[zoobernut]

Even if he hires all types I am sure there is a healthy mix of body types there including at least 1 or 2 attractive people out of the 15 or so working there...

[Ramor]

It's not the 1 or 2 you'd be worried about seeing as you eat/drink, it's the other 13.

[altwight]

go figure they only show the d00d topless. god forbid a women be shown topless

[gairaiden]

got a guy in my ls from near there. He said its been all over the news there in maine. He seems to think the media will stfu in like a month. Hopefully they ain't got any 400 lbs+ chicks working there. that'd drive away some people lmao. Unless the customers are into that kinda thing

[gt_killa]

http://images7.dantri.com.vn/Uploade...cafe272093.jpg

[Okan]

There is like 100's of Bikini Barista stands all over Seattle where they wear anything from well bikinis to lingerie to almost nothing. Nothing really new.

[Blackmagik]

go figure they only show the d00d topless. god forbid a women be shown topless

if you check the link, woman and men are topless.