Grace Morris is a 20-year-old bikini barista and TikTok creator in Lacey, Washington.
I kept my job a secret when I was younger. Every corner in Seattle has a bikini baristas stand. Coffee in your underwear is frowned upon, no matter what.
It is also not easy. A customer masturbated at the window during my first week as a salesperson. He wasn't leaving until I reached for the panic button and he sped off. I had to get a restraining order against a stalker.
Only two of my friends were aware that I was working at Pink Sugar Espresso.
I hated working at a drive-through coffee shop because it was always crowded, the dress code was strict, and the customers were not nice.
I decided to give baristaing a try.
Most of the other people in charge are all women, which I like. It was a tryout. You have to remove your clothes and put your lingerie on. They want to see if you can act friendly with customers without being shy or nervous.
Your nails, hair, and makeup have to be runway ready at all times if you want to be a model. Military Monday, Topless Tuesday, Pink Wednesday, and so on are themes we have on a daily basis.
Our prices are higher than in a regular coffee shop but our menu is the same. You can get a 16-ounce latte for about $7. Some people complain that it's too expensive, but at the end of the day, you're not paying for coffee, you're paying for great conversation with a beautiful woman.
On weekdays we have a line of cars. Old teachers, police officers, couples, and even men who are members of a well-known church have come to the stand to watch me.
The minimum wage in Washington is around fourteen dollars an hour and I make fourteen dollars an hour. Money comes from tips. On a bad day, I'll make less than that. I would take home $20 at the regular coffee shop.
My groceries, furniture, and even my rent have been paid for by customers. All expenses were paid for my coworker and I to go to Hawaii. Another girl got her car payments taken care of. I have never done this myself, but I know girls who have sent Amazon wishlists and gotten everything they wanted. It's up to what you're willing to accept.
We're not trying to take advantage of the men who offer us these kinds of perks, but it's a constant part of the job.
Food, flowers, or new lingerie will be brought by regulars. Since I posted about my job on TikTok, more women have come to see me. If my videos flop, I'll just remove them. My first TikTok was viewed a million times.
I have over 338,500 followers and have deals with some of my favorite brands. It has given me the chance to tell my side of the story in order to show people that I am not doing much. I've been able to share some of the negatives.
Coffee stands that engage in sexual activity with their clients are not wrong. Many people think that all of us do it.
A lot of customers want me to take my top off or give them $20 to make their drink completely nude, and I have to tell them that we don't do that here. People joked that they would pull me into their car. A lot of men feel comfortable saying these things when they don't have anyone else around.
Our stand is small, not big enough for a bathroom and only one of us can work there at a time. Even though we're in a safe area, there are times when I wish I was working alone.
The stands in Tacoma have been robbed at gun point. At one of them, a man pulled up and tried to shoot the girl, but she had time to shut the window and hit the panic button, which most stands have, to alert the police.
My job is to be sexy. Sometimes conversations are not comfortable. I understand that I'm putting myself in a position that will attract comments because I'm in lingerie around a lot of older men who don't have filters.
I love my job because I have control over what happens. If a customer says something offensive, I can either laugh it off or tell them they can't come back.
Being a bikini barista has given me a lot of confidence. It teaches you how to take control of situations when they aren't going your way and how to deal with uncomfortable situations.
A lot of the customers are lonely and want someone to chat with. Customers come back because they enjoy us as people.
Some women, like my manager, have been doing it for 10 years or more, as the job has a high turnover rate.
I don't want to work as a barista for the rest of my life. I don't see it as a sustainable career for myself, but the job itself is easy for the amount of money I'm making, and it's giving me both financial freedom and a social media niche
I would be able to create full-time if I were to go down the road. I'm happy that I'm a bikini barista for the foreseeable future.
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