Vassalboro, Maine's newest coffee shop is garnering national attention for something other than its $3 a cup coffee. At the Grand View Topless Coffee Shop, the waitresses are, well, topless.
You can read the local paper's report here. The most interesting piece of news is not near the top of the story--it's not the news that many local residents are unhappy, or that other locals are already stopping by (as many as 60 customers on Monday).
You'll have to scroll to the bottom for the most stunning detail. The Kennebec Journal reports that the shop's owner Donald Crabtree said that he interviewed 150 people for the positions, "and narrowed the field to 10."
Further evidence that this is a rough job market.
The shop is located in what is described by a local government council as a "rural residential suburb"--population 4,500 or so. It opens at 6 a.m. to serve hot coffee and doughnuts.
One waitress explains her interest to the Journal:
Topless waitress Susie Wiley, 23, of Farmingdale, said she went for the job because it's "something different" and said she's worked in coffee shops since she was a teenager.
Asked whether the shop is degrading to women, Wiley said, "No, I love it. I find it very empowering, not degrading."