Coffee + Topless Employees = $$

For this week's blog, as an alternative to my usual posts on large, nation or worldwide issues, I opted to think small-scale. While perusing through the latest articles featured on cnn.com, this headline caught my attention: "Topless coffee shop a hit in small Maine town."

This past Monday in Vassalboro, Maine, Donald Crabtree opened Grand View Topless Coffee Shop. The town has less than 4,500 residents, and despite skepticism and criticism against this novel java joint, Grand View seems to be a hit amongst locals, seeing substantial amounts of business in just its first week. Most costumers have been couples and women.

The concept of Grand View Topless Coffee Shop is simple: 15 men and women employees (who, according to Crabtree, come in a variety of body types), brewing and serving coffee sans t-shirts. This idea, while novel, also seems like something entrepreneurs would have though up sooner. Others in the past have set the groundwork to combine sexuality and the coffee world, such as so-called "sexpresso stands" in cities like Seattle, but Crabtree has taken it to another level. His shop doesn't allude to sex, but blatantly puts it out for all (that are 18 and up, of course) to see. Sometimes, desperate times are what it takes to yield innovative ideas and successful endeavours.

Donald Crabtree exemplifies the quintessential characteristics of a successful entrepreneur. Most importantly, he had the confidence to go against the grain and take a huge risk at a time when taking risks, especially in retail, can be a deadly choice. He opened a new, controversial business at the height of a huge economic crisis, and not in the most promising of locations, by any means. He figured out that nudity is entertainment, and entertainment sells. Providing entertainment in this manner makes his coffee shop more than just a place to get your daily caffeine fix; it becomes an experience. Granted his business has only been open less than seven days and only time will tell how well it will survive, his efforts and ideas are admirable in my eyes.



Source: http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/02/27/topless.coffee.shop/index.html