Lingerie-Clad Baristas Have Customers Liking Coffee Shop A Latte
The Hot Spot Coffee Company has winning brew with theme days, special coffees and friendly service from beautiful women.
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Providing service with a smile Nichole Fisher, of Warren (left) and Samantha Torre, of South Lyon, display the selection of coffee flavors available at The Hot Spot.
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A recent blustery morning brought car after car through the two drive-through windows at The Hot Spot Coffee Company in Brighton, where Nichole Fisher and Samantha Torre kept the coffee and conversation flowing while scantily-clad in lingerie.
There were plenty of big smiles pulling away.
The Hot Spot, on 4608 South Old US 23 near Spencer Road, offers a wide variety of gourmet coffees, lattes, cappuccinos, frappes and breakfast items. Frappe Cha Chas, which come in a variety of flavors, are the most popular with customers, starting at $3.25 for a small to $3.75 for a large.
The Hot Spot also has another main attraction: beautiful women.
Each day brings a different theme, such as Cowgirl Mondays, when the girls dress in hot cowgirl outfits. Other themes include Bottomless Wednesdays, with the girls wearing baby dolls and giving free refills; Bikini Thursdays, Fantasy Fridays and Corset Saturdays.
Owner Gary Zelda was quite mysterious when asked about Topless Tuesdays.
"Topless Tuesdays need to be seen," he said.
According to Zelda, who also owns and operates Hot Spots in Waterford and Troy, the idea for having scantily-clad servers came several years back.
“The city of Troy was giving Hooters a hard time relocating from one location to another. They didn't want to grant a liquor license because they didn't want them on their 'golden corridor' Big Beaver,” Zelda said. “This really irked us. We already had a successful store on Big Beaver and thought we could put hot girls in our store and they couldn't do anything about it. We switched our Waterford store first. Business doubled.”
The Brighton location opened in July of 2010 and has seen a steady customer base. Zelda hopes to open more stores and eventually franchise. He estimates about 65 percent of his customers are male.
"Most people in Brighton have been very supportive, although like anything in life, there have been some 'haters'," Zelda said.
Eugene Tolot, of Brighton, is not among them.
“Brighton Hot Spot is awesome — been a regular since opening day," Tolot said via Facebook. "Not just for the gorgeous girls but they provide fast, friendly service. I tend to be particular about my coffee. I've been to every other local coffee shop and The Hot Spot beats them in price and flavor.”
Samantha Torre, of South Lyon, enjoys her job as a Hot Spot barista.
“I think it is a really good idea. It’s a good, fun working environment,” she said.
Both Torre and Fisher, of Warren, have nothing but praise for Zelda.
“He comes in a lot of mornings to work with us. He loves it and he is fun to work with,” Fisher added.
When asked about what they think brings customers to The Hot Spot, Torre laughed.
“I thought at first that guys were coming for the girls, not the coffee, but I found out that the coffee is really good, some of the best,” she said.
The Hot Spot is open Monday through Saturday from 5 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Elizabeth
11:01 am on Friday, May 6, 2011
Almost drove through when I saw this place for the first time. So glad I didn't. Discouraging to see young women basing their self-value on how they look in underwear...
Anonymous
1:53 pm on Friday, May 6, 2011
Been a Waterford Hotspot customer since before it was the Hotspot. The girls are great, friendly and fun and the coffee is great too! My husband (yes I'm a female customer) and I totally support the business and the girls!
bob
3:33 pm on Friday, May 6, 2011
I got mad one day when the 7-11 lady was on her cell phone and it seemed like a chore to ring me up, so I saw this little place called the hotspot (troy) didnt know the girls were in lingerie and boy was I surprised.
I think all the girls are cute but more importantly they all are nice everytime I go ,so thats why I am a hotspot customer (great burritos also)
Hotspot of course will always have haters but i bet none of the haters look as good as these girls do in thier outfits.
Kelly
7:17 am on Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Waiting for the sleazy place to go out of business. I do believe it will at least at the Brighton location which is the one in my neighborhood. Biggby Coffee across the street does far better business and despite their enthusiasm in the article in this economy they are not beating the competition or getting the customers. You might see one car there when you drive by. Sad when sex has to be used to sell things. Speaks for the character of the owners and employees as well as our culture in general. I feel like we have to sheild our kids eyes at every opportunity. You can make excuses: the coffee is good, the service wonderful, the complainers are just ugly and jealous of the hot girls, yada yada yada........mostly all not true and bottom line, and I repeat, is that they are just selling sleaze.
Jennifer Coppola
8:24 pm on Thursday, June 23, 2011
Personally I think the place is a black eye on Brighton's face. The signs and the behavior cause me to avoid that stretch whenever possible. As a parent, I'm uncomfortable with the messages it sends to young girls--and more importantly boys--about the objectifying of women, and the sad, low-class nature these girls are destined to perpetuate as grown-ups.