Adrianne Peterson is sure the city of Bellevue wants to shut her down.

She’s the owner of Touchdown Espresso, a new “bikini barista” stand that opened March 1 at 148th Ave. NE and Main Street in the Lake Hills neighborhood.

The city is coming down on Peterson for operating a drive-through, which is prohibited at the location of her business.

That same move spelled the end for another one of Bellevue’s bikini-espresso hopefuls, Knotty Bodies, in December.

Bellevue allows drive through operations in community business zones, but not neighborhood business zones.

Touchdown Espresso is located in a neighborhood business zone. The only other drive-through bikini-barista stand in the city is located at NE 16th Street, in a community business zone.

“It’s about intensity, and the level of intensity in those areas,” said Bellevue development services director Mike Brennan. “In neighborhood business, you have smaller-scale uses. More intense community areas allow for uses like drive throughs.”

A code-enforcement officer visited Touchdown Espresso on April 2, requesting that Peterson renew her building permit and take measures to block drive-through customers.

“At first, I put up cones and signs, but all my customers turned away,” Peterson said.

The cones and signs are gone now, although the only people visiting the booth during a Tuesday visit from The Reporter were walk-ups, including an elderly couple – the wife had Alzheimer’s – a college student, and workers from a nearby carnival.

Peterson has taken only three days off work since opening her business five weeks ago. That’s because there isn’t enough revenue to hire another employee – and barely enough to keep the place running – with roughly 50 customers per day.

Such is the life of an entrepreneur. Bill Capron, who owns the 76 gas station where Touchdown Espresso sits, says it took him more than three years to make a profit.

Peterson could turn things around faster than that with her low operating costs. But she says the odds are stacked against her with the city’s recent enforcement efforts.

Touchdown Espresso already stands at a disadvantage in terms of its ability to draw clientele, at least with sex appeal.

Most aspects of the business, including the name, suggest more of a sports theme rather than anything sultry. Peterson has the place decked out in Seahawks colors, and while her attire – typically a crop top and swimsuit bottom – is revealing, it’s all Seattle sports.

Touchdown Espresso also sits deep in the 76 parking lot, where it’s difficult to see inside without approaching the booth.

Still, a few people who spotted Peterson’s getup have called Capron to complain.

“I had one woman who ranted and yelled until she ran out of breath,” Capron said. “Then she hung up.”

Touchdown Espresso isn’t the first bikini-barista stand to set up shop at the Lake Hills 76 station. Lolita’s came first, but lasted only two months, according to Capron.

The city never asked that business to close its drive through.

Brennan says the city rarely tracks down code violations like this unless someone complains.

“These businesses where the employees wear bikinis are getting more scrutiny from residents,” he said.

Nobody contacted the city to voice concerns about Lolita’s, but one person has called the City Council office to complain about Touchdown Espresso since the business opened, according to Brennan.

“This one didn’t generate a landslide like (Knotty Bodies),” he said.

The city is working to update its adult-entertainment regulations – a process that started when Knotty Bodies came to town. Residents and City Council members complained then that the business was too close to Crossroads Park, where children play.

The planned revision could result in a stricter definition of adult entertainment, one that includes bikini-clad baristas.

Capron agrees with Peterson that the city is trying to shutter Touchdown Espresso with its code-enforcement efforts.

“The problem here is that the city doesn’t like what she’s wearing,” he said.

Touchdown Espresso is Peterson’s first business venture. She spent the past seven years working as a barista at corporate coffee houses.

“Everyone I talked to said ‘Don’t go to Bellevue, they’ll shut you down,’” she said. “But I think there are people who will stick up for what I’m doing.”

Capron supports Peterson’s business plan, but says it might not hurt to scrap the bikini thing.

“I think she’d do better if she put on some clothes,” he said. “The soccer moms get offended by what she’s doing. But this is what she thinks works.”

(Originally published April 7)