Is that gender pay gap getting you down?
Are your ideas drowning in a sea of morning meeting man-terruptions?
Are you all tuckered out from doing hour upon hour of unpaid emotional labour?
Well, here’s something to perk you up, women! An Arizona coffee chain is “empowering” its female staff with a robust new business model teaching them the age old art of bikini-clad barista-ing.
"As the first bikini barista shop in Arizona, we want to empower women to be, and feel good about, themselves," the owners of Bikini Beans Espresso declare on their website.
"Women everywhere have the right to vote, to be gay, to be successful community leaders and business owners, or even to run for president!
"We have the right to work with grace, confidence, and dignity, regardless if it's in a business suit, scrubs, or a bikini."
Feminism, yeah! Tastes a tad like late-stage capitalism, but OKAY.
The couple behind the stores — not to be confused with a Washington cafe of the same name — Ben and Regina Lyles have a simple dream, you see:
"To empower and inspire everyone to live life to the fullest— one visit at a time."
It's a noble goal and one they hope will result in "the first corporate, bikini barista drive-through" in America.
The Mamamia Out Loud team on Christie Brinkley's recent 'empowering' bikini shoot. (Post continues after audio.)
Top Comments
Yeah,,, let's not pretend that it's purely a soft core hooters that use hot women that are scantily clad to attract a certain demographic. In my area I find most of the coffee drinker to he either the morning rush before the train (bleary eyed business people who can't tell $2 from a twenty cent peice, never pondering the meaning behind why the girl making their coffee looks like she wandered off from backstage of a strip club)
Then you have all the parents and bubs and toddlers or parents sans kids coming for a catchup etc who are wondering where the swimming pool is.
I too use clothes to empower myself but in the opposite way, so I'm not one to judge, but,
Let's not pretend they're doing us a favour, and empowering us...
2/3 girls are in a one peice not a bikini SO it's really just a sex sells thing, with fancy strong words and a nipple pasty on top.
Oh and why not let a range of different bodies work there? I'd like to see a body bigger than mine in a bikini to draw confidence from, not just instagram type girls.
Why not just let whatever the girl WANT to wear to work? Let a woman wear her knickers of she likes, another can wear a hijab, you wanna wear ugg boots and a mini skirt? Sweet. Skinny jeans and a hello kitty tee? Pin your badge on, love.
They could at least hire a few buff blokes to make coffee while wearing Speedos. 'Empower' everyone equally!