Topless Coffee Shop In Maine Burns Down
Yep, you read that right. The Grandview Topless Coffee Shop opened this February in Vassalboro, Maine—with bare-chested waitstaff refilling the mugs (and, one would hope, the thermostat cranked way up). Owner Donald Crabtree thought the café was a surefire way to rake in business and spice up small-town life. More than 150 applicants (both male and female) interviewed for the ten staff spots.
But not all Crabtree’s neighbors were so enthused. Feeling that Grandview brought unwanted visitors and attention to Vassalboro, the town drew up an ordinance to ban topless venues. And two nights ago, flames engulfed the coffee shop, destroying it beyond repair—a fire that officials, the Boston Herald reports, are attributing to arson.
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15 Comments:
conservatives = domestic terrorists. Whoever set this fire is lucky no one was killed, they would be murderers in addition to being arsonists.
simon at 8:46AM on 06/04/09
Yes, I'm sure this is a case of arson. Different strokes people. You may not like this idea but this is a free country...don't go to that coffee shop if it offends you!!!
arm1970 at 9:01AM on 06/04/09
I don't understand how the state or county or whatever does not have health codes that require clothes? You can't walk into a restaurant here in NY with no shirt on but there, you can work with no clothes on? Is it exempt like strip clubs or something?
Also, there is no cause reported yet so quit jumping to conclusions about "conservatives." I am far from conservative but I try to reserve my judgments for when there are facts.
xwafflesx at 9:20AM on 06/04/09
I just read that they did rule this as arson. However, claiming the arsonist is "conservative" is a little judgemental...perhaps Simon meant to say that whoever did this isn't particularly open minded!
arm1970 at 9:43AM on 06/04/09
This is just terrible. I'll never understand what drives people to do something like this. I hope he re-opens a new store.
cickert at 11:18AM on 06/04/09
@simon - I am a self-proclaimed "conservative," and by no means consider myself a domestic terrorist. That is a pretty sweeping (and insulting, at least to me) generalization. But not only am I conservative in most of my beliefs, I also contend that people have the right to live their lives and make their choices as they wish. Just because I would never serve coffee bare-chested doesn't mean somebody else can't make that decision for his or herself. I think that is the true heart of conservatism - I'll make my decisions, you make yours. Not domestic terrorism. I believe the arsonist must have been more emotionally rather than politically unbalanced. Thanks for reading.
mollykate678 at 11:18AM on 06/04/09
@mollykate678 - that's all well and good in theory, but in practice, conservative ethos is "I'll make my decisions, you make yours, unless I disagree with in which case I will assassinate you and/or burn your house, church or place of business down."
simon at 12:20PM on 06/04/09
gotta say i agree with you, simon. im quite the liberal, though.
also, this is awful :(
luxie at 1:05PM on 06/04/09
I am so glad no one was hurt!
reason143 at 1:12PM on 06/04/09
i was thinking the same as waffles... what about the health codes? or just laws in general about indecent exposure?
(also, could you imagine being on the waitstaff and having a klutzy accident? hot coffee. ouch.)
engmcmuffin at 1:39PM on 06/04/09
@simon (and @luxie, also) - Unfortunately, the squeakiest wheels get the most grease and attention in many realms of life. Also, the loudest "conservatives" are typically the ones who come across as craziest. The same can be said of the loudest "liberals." I use quotations because I believe that once they reach loudest levels, they usually seem to be no longer true to their proclaimed belief system but rather some warped version of it.
Regardless of political ideology, this is an awful case and, like @reason143, I too am glad no one was hurt. The perpetrator should be prosecuted to the fullest extent.
mollykate678 at 1:55PM on 06/04/09
This was just a ploy to gawk at the topless insurance adjusters.
swagv at 2:46PM on 06/04/09
THANK GOD.
hungrychristel at 5:56PM on 06/04/09
lol. swagv, hilarious.
i love the equal opportunity topless dude in the photo. we don't have any topless guys working at the bikini & pastie coffee places here in washington!
thank god, what? thank god there are people thinking outside the box to come up with something as fun & silly as a topless coffee house?
dmarina at 12:54PM on 06/05/09
i think they'd keep the thermostat down ;)
although, it'd get really cold in maine.
hungrychristel, what are you thanking god for? for ruining someone's business? for putting a bunch of people out of work in this economy?
i really don't understand people sometimes.
saltcrystal at 1:03PM on 06/05/09