WILMINGTON — A 24-year-old entrepreneur is brewing up a new concept, blending a West Coast-inspired coffee shop with a broad menu and focus on customer interaction. Not to mention its bikini-clad baristas will turn a few heads.
Madison Callihan opened BrewKini Coffee on April 1 behind Rocco’s Cigar Lounge, at Market Street and Eastwood Road. While there’s a menu full of coffee drinks — lattes, frappes, cappuccinos, and Americanos — there are smoothies, energy drinks, sandwiches and pastries, too. Dirty sodas also are served — a trend from Utah that blends sodas with cream, flavored syrups and lime. So far, The Islander (Coke, coconut creme and lime) has been a hit.
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The shop is outfitted in a shipping container in the parking lot of the Rocco property, with a patio area coming soon for people to bring their dogs (pup cups and treats will be offered). Cars can also utilize the drive-thru.
BrewKini is open daily from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. (soon to expand to 6 p.m.) and while the baristas are trained to make all the drinks, they’re also expected to interact with customers while wearing bikinis.
“We’re a college town, with a lot of tourists and a lot of coffee shops, so I wanted to stand out,” Callihan said.
Calihan was inspired by places like Bikini Beans in Arizona, Ladybug Bikini Espresso in Washington state, and Perky Cups Espresso in Texas, also opening in Florida soon (the Fort Worth shop inspired the bikini barista stop seen on the Paramount+ show “Landman”).
Recognizing a gap on the East Coast, Callihan jumped on an opportunity to bring one to Wilmington, noting it’s a natural fit due to so many beaches nearby. Though the attire is scant, she is clear it’s not salacious — no see-through lingerie, as other barista cafes of the same caliber have done, such as Cup O Jane in Raleigh.
“I know that North Carolina is conservative and bikini coffee hasn’t been a thing over here yet, so, obviously, I didn’t want to be that risky,” Callihan said. “I would not feel comfortable having my employees being that unclothed. I want them to feel comfortable at work.”
Originally from Ohio, Callihan moved to the area six years ago and studied business at UNC-Pembroke. She designed the uniform — a combination of black, white, green, beige and brown — and noted they’re not even as revealing as what can be seen on Wrightsville Beach currently.
“There are no G strings, no thongs,” she described, with the bikinis options consisting of high-waisted bottoms, coverup skirts, and a crop or crossbody bikini top. The baristas can change up the uniforms daily; the only stipulation is, if a barista wears a skirt she has to wear the bikini top; if it’s a crop top, she has to wear bikini bottoms.
Callihan provides the uniform but also allows the girls to buy their own bikini wear as long as it aligns with the brand’s color scheme. During the fall, she plans to transition to crop hoodies and spandex.
Upon opening applications, 100 girls responded; Callihan narrowed the field to 10. Two sisters, Ash and Lexi Kay, were waving down customers from a busy Market Street on Wednesday.
“It mixes in between serving and entertaining,” Lexi said, who took the opportunity as a day job.
So far, the crowds have been hit-or-miss in the first two weeks, some days much busier than others as no major signage attracting diners to the shop has been installed yet. Arriving any day now will be a custom, inflatable tube man wearing a bikini to draw attention.
Callihan said more young women have come by than she anticipated, though the majority of clientele have been men. Rocco patrons also have frequented the establishment due to close proximity. Though Callihan wants the shop to be a place everyone feels comfortable coming to.
“So far the customers have been really nice,” Lexi said.
On Wednesday, two men walked up to place an order: “My boy just told me to come by here,” one explained, describing a customer who drove through earlier in a white truck.
“He was so sweet,” Ash said.
“We are big on emotional connections with the community here, instead of just handing over coffee,” she told Port City Daily before exiting to take the customer’s order.
Lexi said the worst thing to happen so far has been social media comments. Naysayers have made obvious statements about the business model objectifying women, which all three women dismiss.
“If a woman is comfortable doing something with her body, she should be able to do it — this is a free country,” Callihan said, noting BrewKini is also about empowerment.
“It’s not like it’s a brothel,” Lexi added.
The barista said she has been reassured by safety measures in place. Callihan was top-of-mind during her research in opening the establishment, even traveling out west to make a pros and cons list on what to include back east. In addition to sharing security personnel with Rocco, Callihan has installed cameras on the property, outfitted the shipping container with tasers and mace, built it with bulletproof windows, and put in a panic button to alert police if anything happens; so far, none have been used.
“And not that I think anything would ever happen, but I am a woman and, obviously, this is woman-owned, so I take safety very seriously,” Callihan said.
Lexi added it feels more secure than any restaurant she has worked at before. Financially, she’s averaging up to $20 or so an hour, though the business is still in its infancy. Areas in the Pacific Northwest have the highest concentration of these cafes, many baristas reporting around anywhere from $200 to $250 a day.
Callihan pays the baristas $8 an hour — more than the federal tipped wage of $2.13 an hour — and in addition to tips, they receive commission on merch. BrewKini sells calendars of the baristas for $30 and every time a worker pushes one, she keeps $5. There are also tees, hats and other wares.
Part of a BrewKini Coffee worker’s role is also to keep reels going on social media, such as Instagram and TikTok. So they must feel comfortable being a part of the spotlight, according to Callihan: “They can’t be afraid to put themselves out there.”
Though the first shop is barely open a month, Callihan already is looking into franchising. She wants to open a second location next to a surf shop on Wrightsville Avenue by fall before expanding locations from Myrtle Beach to Leland to Jacksonville.
“I think having one near the military base would do well,” she said. “I don’t plan on sleeping for the next six years, but that’s OK. I can sleep when I’m 30.”
BrewKini Coffee is located at 5671 Market St. and the menu can be found here. The business offers discounts for first responders, with Callihan wanting to extend it to educators and students eventually.
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