Playboy in search of willing bare-istas at Starbucks stores

Just because its corporate logo is a topless mermaid, that doesn't mean Starbucks is thrilled about a Playboy callout for "Women of Starbucks."

The Seattle-based coffee company was anything but abuzz following the venerable men's mag's announcement this week: "Calling all coffee-making cuties!" ... to pose nude in an upcoming issue.

No one at Starbucks would comment on the matter apart from this rather terse written statement: "Starbucks Coffee Company is aware that Playboy Enterprises has issued a call for entries for a 'Women of Starbucks' section in a future magazine. Starbucks is not affiliated with this project and does not endorse it. All further inquiries should be directed to the contact at Playboy, Theresa Hennessey." So we directed an inquiry to Hennessey: Why Starbucks?

"Starbucks is such a big part of American pop culture, and Playboy is always trying to stay on top of the latest trend, so it seemed like a natural fit, especially with all the beautiful women there," Hennessey said from Playboy's Chicago headquarters.

The application deadline is April 1 for a publication date likely before the end of 2003. With promotional ties in the past to such female-empowerment outfits as the Oxygen cable network and the Lilith Fair, Starbucks would seem an unlikely place for Playboy to go trolling for flesh. But the law of averages indicates that out of 5,886 Starbucks locations worldwide, Playboy should have plenty of applicants for its spread.

"They're starting to come in. We're getting lots of them," Hennessey said yesterday.

In addition to Playboy's typical photogenic "girl next door," photographers there are also looking for people with interesting stories about why they're working at Starbucks, she said.

Starbucks didn't say whether its baristas would be allowed to pose or tell their stories without repercussions. But company policy forbids employees to speak with reporters and requires them to steer all media questions to the head office.

In recent years, Playboy has had success with other corporate-themed pictorials, such as "The Women of Enron," as well as 7-Eleven and, fittingly, Hooters.

Mark Rahner: 206-464-8259 or mrahner@seattletimes.com