Men to Go Shirtless with ‘Cute, Classy Underwear’ at New Spokane Stand

While the “bikini barista” (a.k.a. sexpresso, bareista, etc.) trend grew out of Seattle, Spokane is now testing the limits.

It is already home to the racy Triple X Spreso (sometimes written as XXXpresso) chain, which has been battling local authorities to continue a “topless Tuesday” promotion in which baristas are only barely covered by thongs and pasties.

Barista Boyz, the trailblazing pioneer of shirtless male barista stands, closed after two months.

Now the shameless for-profit objectification can go both ways! Superman-themed Hot Cup of Joe is set to open this Friday, Feb. 14, featuring topless male baristas. The Spokesman-Review reports that the 28-year-old Chris Mullins (no, Bay Area hoops fans, not Chris Mullin) purchased Tailor’s Bean Shack at 1602 N. Ash. Mullins told the paper the baristas will not be in thongs, because there will be no “implied nudity.” Instead, they’ll just be shirtless in “cute, classy underwear.”

Mullins isn’t breaking totally new ground here. In 2010, a man named Dave Ray opened Barista Boyz in Seattle’s Capitol Hill, attracting tons of media attention. It closed two months later, despite its 4.5 star rating on Yelp, bolstered by the likes of this gem from Yelper Nancy B:

Man tramps and coffee.

Five stars!!

Thanks, Nancy B. Let us know what you think of Hot Cup of Joe.