New Bikini Barista Laws Spark Anger, Confrontation

New laws targeting bikini barista espresso stands went into effect Thursday in Snohomish County, prompting anger from a stand owner upset over television coverage.

The new laws were passed last month after five Everett-area bikini baristas were charged with prostitution for alleged lewd acts at a Grab-n-Go Espresso stand.

When a KIRO 7 Eyewitness News crew was setting up to do a live report early Thursday, the owner of the Grab-n-Go stands, Bill Wheeler, arrived and began shouting.

"You're on my property. I'm going to walk along with you and stand right in front of the camera," he told reporter Chris Francis during a profanity-laced tirade. Francis said the news crew was on the shoulder of a road.

Wheeler said he didn't think the new laws would affect his business but declined to be interviewed.

Supporters of the new laws said some stands have toned down the dress and behavior of baristas at some stands.

In September, bikini baristas were accused of charging customers to touch their breasts and buttocks, which falls under the city's definition of prostitution.

During a two-month investigation, detectives said they saw the women lick whipped cream off each other and pose naked for pictures at the Grab-n-Go Espresso stand on Broadway.

The new ordinance forces businesses with partially nude employees or sexually suggestive signs to get licensed. Employees must be at least 18 years old and any businesses that would break the law can be declared public nuisances and ordered to fix the issues or be shut down.