Kitsap County has mixed record on topless baristas

I was disappointed to see that Kitsap County is not following the lead of other counties around the state like Snohomish County and banning naked women from serving coffee. If strip clubs are required to have licenses, why aren't naked women serving coffee? Other counties have made that conclusion.

"Fantasy Espresso" in East Bremerton (just north of city limits) appears to be thriving, recently placing a job posting on Craigslist. The ad says, "We're a themed espresso stand (the girls wear pasties)" and requires applicants to submit pictures of themselves, noting "No completely nude photos will be accepted." Eeewww. One of the espresso stands promises "Pasties 7 days a week."

Fortunately, a naked coffee stand in Gorst, called Espresso Gone Crazy, has gone out of business. Click here to see how nearly naked its employees are. How is that different from a stripper? Natte Latte also appears to have gone out of business; its website is gone.

In December 2011, Kitsap County Commissioners voted not to do anything about the topless baristas. “We have a lot of priorities right now and this isn’t one of them,” Commissioner Josh Brown said. “Counties don’t have the regulatory authority that cities do. We can’t exactly restrict the businesses that are coming into our county like cities can.”

This isn't true, because other counties around the state ARE cracking down on the naked baristas. Bremerton city officials have stopped the nudity in the past. Let's hope they keep it up.We are going to keep the pressure on them and the Kitsap County Commissioners until they do.