Topless Service at Coffee Shop in Maine

As a New Englander the first thing I thought when I heard about a plan to open a topless coffee shop was, won't they be cold?

As a former coffee house manager I thought, what about the burns?

And as a woman, and former barista at numerous coffee houses, and experienced server of the merely odd to extremely creepy customers, I thought, this is a bad idea.

I may be clumsier than the daring young beauties hired at the Grand View Topless Coffee Shop but working in any food establishment does require you to get a little bit dirty. And not in that way. My arms are still scarred with hundreds of burns. In a coffee shop you are lifting boxes, taking out trash, sweeping, mopping, chopping, brewing, scraping, stacking and stocking things. Sometimes you work up a sweat. Add to this shoveling the sidewalk (it is in Maine), and filling ketchup bottles and what you have is a cold, filthy, possibly injured employee.

Meanwhile, old, lonely Mr. Smith is sitting at the counter winking at you every time he catches your eye, which, lets face it, is not that often because he is staring at your naked breasts.

I'm not saying that these women are degrading themselves. In fact I love that they love their bodies. I appreciate that women, like 23 year old Susie may even find it empowering.


Until the novelty wears off.

So what I am saying, to young Susie and the other employees, is that there are probably other professions that may better suit your topless needs. Cocktail waitressing, for example, which is easier work with better money. Perhaps a topless administrative assistant? They may even offer health insurance to keep that nice body of yours in tip top shape. And I am sure that topless tutoring would do really well at one of the colleges there in Maine.

Until then my advice for them would be, keep the coffee at arms length. Burned and bandaged breasts do not bring in big tips.