Take Your Pick

I'm beginning to find it entertaining that two local espresso stands have entered into a de-facto advertising battle over how much their baristas wear. Beehive is playing up the sex factor. A number of stands in the Seattle area have taken this tack over the past couple of years, but recently, more previously everyday stands have been "converting," as it were. Beehive, as a matter of fact, just started with their own "Bikini Baristas" this spring, in an attempt to set itself apart from several local competitors, and they've been hammering that fact mercilessly.


Down the road a short way, Monster Espresso, the most recent entrant into the (very) crowded field, seems to have gone with a different strategy, and concentrated mainly on touting the quality of their coffee. But recently, they've also started playing up the fact that they're NOT doing the bikini shtick.


Because of the design of the roadway, you can't make a left turn to get to Monster. This means that you can only turn in if you're headed along the road to the northeast, and (depending on how you go there) may have already passed four other dedicated espresso stands (including Beehive immediately prior) and McDonald's within the past half mile. This puts them at something of a disadvantage. And in fact, they don't even both putting anything on the other side of their sign. But, the area being what it is, espresso stands sprout like weeds. One one in the area has closed in the past several years, and every so often, another pops up. Although the current crunch might change that dynamic.

We'll see who makes it in the end.