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Group of bikini baristas win nearly $2M in legal battle
The Seattle Times • • business
Key Points:
- A King County Superior Court judge awarded over $1.8 million to former bikini baristas from five Puget Sound coffee stands after finding widespread wage violations, including underpayment and tip theft, by owner Alan Tagle.
- The lawsuit, which gained class-action status, accused Tagle of paying baristas below minimum wage, forcing them to hand over earnings to meet sales targets, restricting their ability to work elsewhere, and failing to provide sick pay.
- Baristas also alleged being pressured to send “sexy pictures” to customers and meet strict sales quotas under threat of reduced shifts or termination.
- The ruling follows a multi-week trial and highlights systemic exploitation in the bikini barista industry, which is less regulated than adult entertainment despite similar controversies.
- Separately, Jonathan Tagle, Alan’s brother, faces a lawsuit from the Washington attorney general accusing him of sexual harassment and labor violations at his bikini barista stands, with a trial scheduled for March 2027.
