BOTHELL, Wash. -- For 15 years, Beehive Espresso thrived as a family-friendly coffee stand. But with many people cutting back on spending, sales slumped.

"It got to the point I was really faced with a tough option. I could cut back hours, I could let some employees go, or I could try and do what we could," said owner Alan Tagle.

So when the economy tanked, Tagle thought sex might still sell.

"We decided to go bikini," he said.

And Tagle says people are buying more coffee drinks now than ever before.

"We've seen an increase, and so that's why we did it."

But there is a price for success. The Beehive is the only bikini stand in all of Bothell, and the city has received several complaints about the scantily-clad servers.

City officials say there's nothing illegal about the new dress code, and the baristas are happy to see increased business.

"People said they weren't going to come in, and then they see it's just bikinis and they're like 'oh that's fine -- it's like going to the beach,'" said Kate Meritt, who works at the coffee stand.

There are 12 coffee stands and shops along the small strip of highway where the Beehive does business, and Tagle says every single one is falling apart because they won't go bikini.

So when the economy recovers will Tagle go back to a family friendly coffee shop?

"A smart business re-evaluates at all times," he said.