Bikini-clad baristas paid to make espresso in skimpy underwear win big payout
The group of 70 workers – who were paid to make coffee in skimpy swimwear – have won more than £1.4million after a judge ruled their boss used “confusing” pay practices
Raunchy bikini-clad baristas win huge payout after suing owner for wage theft(Image: The Beehive Espresso/Facebook)
A group of bikini-clad baristas have landed a huge payout after accusing their boss of running a wage theft scheme behind the counters of skimpy coffee stands.
A class of 70 former workers from Beehive Espresso, a chain of drive-thru bikini coffee stands across the Puget Sound region in Western Washington state in the US, were awarded more than $1.85 million (£1,4 million) in stolen wages, interest and penalties after taking owner Alan Tagle to court.
Judge Cindi Port at ing County Superior Court in Seattle ruled in their favour on August 28 following a 17-day trial. Beehive Espresso operated five coffee stands across Seattle from 2021 to 2025, according to the suit.
At these stands, young women make and sell coffee drinks to a largely male clientele while wearing bikinis and lingerie(Image: The Beehive Espresso/Facebook)
The drive-thru huts were staffed by young women serving a largely male clientele while wearing bikinis and lingerie. The court found Tagle “accepted the benefit of baristas’ work without paying for it”, and awarded double damages for the amount of wages and tips that workers were made to rebate to Tagle to meet “sales goals”.
According to the lawsuit, brought with the Working Washington Rights Center and law firm Schroeter Goldmark & Bender, Tagle used “confusing pay practices” that left workers short, Komo News reported. The baristas reportedly claimed they often received no official paycheques or paystubs for years.
Instead, they were allegedly told to pay themselves by taking wages and tips straight out of the cash register at the end of each shift. They also alleged Tagle imposed rigid daily sales targets.
They sued their employer for wage theft in 2024(Image: The Beehive Espresso/Facebook)
If a barista didn’t hit her quota, she was forced to put her own tips and earned wages back into the till to cover the shortfall, or risk having her hours cut or being fired, the Daily Chronicle reported. The suit further alleged that when two baristas were scheduled for the same shift, only one would be paid, with the other expected to work for free.
It also claimed Tagle tried to stop staff taking second jobs at rival bikini espresso stands, including allegedly texting another employer that sharing staff “empowers them” and prevents him having total control.
Former barista Eilish Hoffman, the class representative, said organising was difficult because many workers were isolated on solo shifts.
“Because baristas work most shifts alone, we do not always know whether what is happening to us is happening to coworkers,” Hoffman said. “As a result, breaking through that isolation and building trust was one of the first big barriers we had to overcome in order to join together for what we were rightfully owed.”
She said “tools like social media” helped workers share experiences, despite fears of retaliation, adding: “Coming together with my coworkers to fight in court and win has shown me that there is power in unity”
Janae Choquette, a staff attorney with the Working Washington Rights Center, said: “We hope this victory inspires other workers to fight together for what they deserve.”
Another former worker, Mykie, said: “No matter what it is you do for work, you still deserve the bare minimum and more.”
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