‘Going to force us out’: Hanford businesses, residents react to possible bikini coffee shop opening
HANFORD, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) – Frustration continues to brew in the City of Hanford after residents and businesses discovered a new bikini barista coffee shop is set to open in a plaza at the corner of Fargo and North 10th Avenues.
It’s called Bottoms Up Espresso, a Modesto-based business, one which already has a dozen locations across California, including in Clovis in nearby Fresno County.
However, those businesses near where it is set to open say the coffee shop would be bad for kids and customers.
“Everybody’s thinking it’s a normal coffee shop. Like, okay. Sure, fine. We’re fine with that. And then, the daycare sees their logo which was questionable, and then looks it up. And then boom, lingerie, whips, inappropriate menu, everything,” said Michelle Soeiro, a local business owner.
Soeiro’s business, Donut Cafe, is only steps away from what is planned to be the new location.
She says the business is inappropriate and may force her business, open for five years, to move. She says regulars have said they will not be able to come around as often if the bikini barista business is allowed to open and operate.
“It is absolutely going to force us out. It’s going to force them out. It’s going to affect everybody here. We’re already, actually today, we’re going to look at another location in case this opens up,” said Soeiro.
Sunshine Friends Learning Center, a pre-and-prep school, is also nearby. Its windows, filled with children’s toys, and learning areas, directly face the proposed pickup window for Bottoms Up.
“We are 60 feet door-to-door. So, we have 24 kids at a time here. Their families use these same parking spots to drop off and pick up their kids,” said Lynn Barlow, owner & director of Sunshine Friends.
Barlow has been in business for 20 years and told me she may also be forced to move as a result.
“Local people have already said they’re concerned to actually enroll for this upcoming year,” she said. “So, if those signatures don’t happen, and I don’t enroll children for the next year, then I don’t have a business.”
Hanford’s Deputy City Manager Jason Waters says they will monitor the situation closely.
Some argue the business would be an ‘adult-oriented business’ under the Hanford City code.
However, Waters says they have applied for the license to be a coffee shop and will be treated as such until an infraction occurs.
“If they operate as a drive-thru coffee shop then that is certainly allowed within the area that they’re proposing to open. If they operate as an adult-oriented business, then that wouldn’t be allowed per the city’s municipal code and the city would get involved,” said Waters.
The continuing controversy follows a packed Hanford City Council meeting Tuesday evening, in which many businesses, residents, and advocates raised concerns.
“It’s a perv magnet. It’s a danger to our neighborhood and damaging to the citizens and families of Hanford,” said one resident.
“These children at Sunshine, are going to have to be exposed to that? It’s just very unsettling to my stomach and everyone else in here,” said another.
The ownership of the Modesto-based coffee chain issued us a statement about that meeting, upset with how their business and employees were depicted as seen below:
“As a drive-thru coffee company, we strive to serve our customers with quality drinks made from our custom blend of espresso beans. We also aim to build strong relationships with our communities, promote positive growth, and create an empowering environment for our customers, employees, and the community as a whole.
Apart from selling coffee, we provide young adults with the opportunity to learn about following policies and procedures, setting goals, achieving them, and even managing a location to grow within our company. However, during a city council meeting, it was disheartening to witness members of the community attacking our small business, employees, and customers based on misinformation, lies, and ignorance.
The meeting began with welcoming comments and a sense of pride about being a conservative religious community. We believe that if a city welcomes all, it should accept people with different ideologies.
It is not the responsibility of a small fraction of the community to dictate what they are protecting the entire community from, especially when they have made threats towards our business and degraded our owners, employees, and customers. It seems that everyone wants to use Google, social media, and review platforms to their advantage, but nobody wants to hear or believe the positive impact our business has made on the communities we operate in. We have successfully partnered with various organizations and groups within the community to support and encourage growth, well-being, and safety. These organizations include Kern County Autism Network, Stanislaus County Crimestoppers, Modesto’s visitors bureau, youth sports leagues, Catalyst Domestic Violence Services, and more.
We take the concerns of the community seriously and want to assure everyone that our business is not a threat to the community or a lure for criminal activity. We believe that this is the right time for business owners to come together and work towards our common goal of economic growth while providing employment opportunities for young adults. We have received an overwhelming number of applicants, especially since the recent publicity, who are eager to join the Bottoms Up Espresso team, learn more about our partnerships with major brands and community organizations, and contribute towards the growth and well-being of the community.”
Bottoms Up Espresso
