Baristas at LA’s first bikini coffee shop say they’ve already had to deal with customers showing up in Meta smart glasses, raising concerns that they could be recording workers without permission.
Tanlines Coffee opened in Los Angeles after Bikini Beans Coffee built a name in Arizona with its drive-thru coffee concept, where baristas serve drinks while wearing bikinis.
The shop has quickly attracted attention online, but employees say not every customer is stopping by just for coffee.
Speaking with Mystery House on TikTok, a barista said the staff has already noticed customers wearing Meta glasses, which can record photos and video with built-in cameras.
“For every hundred cool people, we get like one weirdo,” she said. “You can always tell when it is Meta glasses. Because when you ask them, ‘Hey, could you take off your glasses?’ they’re like, ‘Why? There’s nothing wrong with them.’”
Another barista chimed in, explaining how the folks wearing Meta glasses try to “record every angle.”
Meta’s Ray-Ban smart glasses are designed to let users capture videos, take photos, listen to music, and use AI features hands-free. However, their built-in camera has also sparked privacy concerns, especially in places where people may not realize they are being recorded.
The rise of camera-equipped smart glasses has created a new issue for workers who already deal with customers filming them for social media, but Tanlines Coffee staff, the job still beats working in the corporate world, and the tips are “worth it.”
