Driven to Espresso: Drive-through Coffee Stands in the Northwest

If you think coffee culture is cool, you have come to the right place. I have loads of information and opinions to share about espresso in the Pacific Northwest, especially the drive-through phenomenon.


Wednesday, August 06, 2008

Baristas are erotic, so they say.

Many people wonder if the drive-thru market has reached a saturation point. Given that over the past year or so, more and more baristas are wearing less and less, I'd say that's obvious. These baristas have drawn media attention all across the country. 
Certainly, this is a dramatic step in the drive-thru evolution. It demonstrates the will to survive and the willingness to try unorthodox measures by private entrepreneurs who obviously don't need to run their businesses in the corporate world. Compare this idea for staying profitable to the recent store closures by Starbucks!
Today an article appears in the Seattle Times relating to a drive-thru in Belfair that has attracted attention of county officials. After receiving a complaint, they decided the baristas are "erotic entertainers" and because their drive-thru is not zoned for erotic entertainment, they needed to... well, be less erotic, I suppose.
I'm curious just what they were wearing (well, naturally), and how much they need to change to be non-erotic. It will be interesting to see if other communities begin to follow this response.

Introducing 1by1 Publishing

Even though I am self-publishing Fast Lane, I have created the trade name "1by1 Publishing," under which I will be publishing. I am excited to be using a name that I believe reflects the uniqueness of each drive-thru, and at the same time reflects that I am only publishing one book. If I should be lucky enough to be successful, then perhaps I'll publish another one sometime, but one by one is the only way I can foresee this happening.
Now I can begin marketing 1by1 Publishing as an entity, and before too long I will create a website where one day people will be able to buy the book.