Young women dressed in sexy and revealing lingerie are no longer just looking up at you from magazine photos, they are now located in Bellevue at Knotty Bodies, a coffee stand where baristas are dressed in anything from lace teddies to a skimpy pair of panties.
Knotty bodies opened on Saturday, Nov. 21 but were forced to shut down their drive through window yesterday, because they did not have a permit. Code enforcement officers also notified them that their curbside advertisement violates a city sign ordinance and the sign was later removed.
“We definitely plan to still have the drive through up and running,” said one of the baristas.
Currently customers have to use parking on the side of Chevron gas station and walk up the coffee stand.
“There are rumors of a new merging lane into the drive though,” said another barista.
Monday night the Bellevue City Council Meeting was packed with local residents who complained about the coffee stand and demanded that the city do something about it.
“Most of the people that give their reasons…they have children that might see, there’s a park next door. We’re aware of that but there are sexy ads for Victoria’s Secret, billboards in the mall, Abercrombie [ads] they’re [models] usually naked. You go to the grocery store and all of the covers of the magazines are going to show probably less than we will so it’s just kind of one of those things that, it’s going to be there wherever you are, so I feel like there are bigger things to worry about,” said one of the baristas.
Many Bellevue residents also want the city to make permanent ordinances and zoning code changes in order to prevent this type of business from opening.
“For those that are opposed, I’m sorry they feel that they feel that way. If you don’t like it don’t come to it. We have plenty that do come. Getting your morning coffee from a beautiful girl in sexy lingerie is I think the way to do it,” said another barista. “We have so many supporters that said they would come every day just to support us and to defy the city of Bellevue.”
Despite many complaints, business is still “super busy” and customers are still lining up and parking their cars to get coffee.
“I feel that we have more supporters than we do opponents, so opponents in Bellevue should definitely realize this and they shouldn’t want to live up the snobby reputation,” said one of the baristas.
Knotty Bodies has one other location in Ballard, but there are future plans to expand the chain and create three more locations in Washington before the end of this year.
Employees receive health and dental benefits and are paid above minimum wage depending on experience in addition to their daily tips.
The property is owned by Chevron and is leased by the owner of Knotty Bodies.
Udip, works at the Chevron station and his family owns the property.
According to him, the bikini barista stand has not positively or negatively affected business and he does not personally have an opinion about how Knotty Bodies runs its business.
Knotty Bodies is located on eighth-street, right next to the Chevron gas station and the Crossroads Park.
After multiple complaints from Bellevue residents and city code violations, the barista stand did not reopen on Dec. 4. It is unclear whether or not the stand is closed for good.