Café con piernas (Spanish for "coffee with legs") is a coffee shop style popular in Chile where the service staff are attractive women dressed in revealing clothing.Gallardo, Eduardo (13 October 1998). Coffee With Legs' Offends Some Chilean Sensibilities, Kentucky New Era (Associated Press) Coffee shops with waitresses serving in miniskirts and heels to businessmen had long been popular, but bikinis and similar attire accelerated the trend by the mid-1990s. The shops are very numerous and popular in Santiago.Flinn, John (12 February 2006). Out on a limb for coffee with legs, San Francisco ChronicleChong, Kevin (28 May 2010). Santiago: A city with legs, Toronto Star It is frequently noted that the shops seem to contradict the traditionally conservative culture of Chile.Ossa, Felipe (5 May 2000). Cafes ... with legs, Salon.com
Generally, the women walk on a raised catwalk behind the bar so as to maximize the view for patrons.(12 August 2003). Cafe With Legs Sizzles In Uptight Chile, Philippine Daily Inquirer, p. A1, A13 In establishments at street level, the waitresses wear short skirts and high heels. At those in underground shopping centres, where the staff wear swimwear, they are mostly migrants from other countries and often lack the paperwork needed to allow them to work legally. The cafes have been subject to allegations of prostitution and workplace harassment. In response, numerous Santiago mayors have passed ordinances restricting the operations of the cafes, requiring them only to open during the daytime, not to sell alcohol, and to have their windows tinted.
See also Bikini barista (similar phenomenon in the northwestern United States) Betel nut beauty (Taiwan) Host and hostess clubs, Maid café, and No-pan kissa (Japan) Breastaurant
References