AG sues owner of bikini barista stands in Snohomish County

Published 1:30 am Thursday, September 18, 2025

EVERETT — Attorney General Nick Brown’s office filed a lawsuit in King County Superior Court on Tuesday against the owner of four bikini barista coffee stands in King and Snohomish counties after he allegedly violated multiple state laws by subjecting employees to sexual harassment, retaliation and wage theft.

Jonathan Tagle’s company, Tagle Investments LLC, owns Paradise Espresso stands in Tukwila, Monroe, Lynnwood and Mountlake Terrace. As corporate officer and sole manager, Tagle is responsible for day-to-day operations of the coffee stands, including hiring and firing, setting schedules and paying workers, according to a Washington State Attorney General’s Office press release.

“Our team investigation found that the employer broke the law in multiple ways and created a workplace that left his employees stressed and traumatized,” Brown said in the release Thursday. “Protecting worker rights is one of my top priorities as attorney general. That includes making sure no one trying to earn a living is treated in such a demeaning and exploitative way as the women were in this case.”

The lawsuit alleges Tagle created a work environment of sexual harassment and failed to pay minimum wage for all hours worked, maintain a regular pay schedule, provide paid sick leave, notify employees of such benefit and withheld tips, the release said.

Tagle did not respond to an immediate request for comment on Thursday.

Over the last 12 years, Tagle allegedly violated state laws by requiring his employees engage in sexual acts in order to get hired and keep their jobs, the release said. Claims include that Tagle touched his employees without permission, required them to go to his house for job interviews and to pick up wages then demanded sexual favors, court documents said. Tagle allegedly retaliated against employees who rejected the sexual conduct by assigning fewer hours, less favorable shifts or locations, termination, removing employees from the defendant’s Instagram, which reduced customer traffic, surveilling employees and threatening them, court documents said.

The lawsuit alleges Tagle and his company violated the Washington Law Against Discrimination by discriminating against female employees because of their sex, retaliating against employees who opposed the discriminatory practices and creating a hostile workplace that forced female employees to quit, classified within the law as a “constructive discharge.” The claim also alleges Tagle violated the Minimum Wage Act and the Wage Rebate Act, the release said.

Washington state asks the court declare Tagle’s actions unlawful and bar him from continuing to sexually harass and underpay his employees. The state asks the court require Tagle to provide employees with the paid sick leave they should have accrued, pay the wages and tips they were entitled to, award monetary damages to employees, award the state the costs of the lawsuit, reasonable attorneys’ fees and “additional relief as the interests of justice may require,” the release said.

Individuals who worked at Paradise Espresso since 2012 can contact the Attorney General’s Civil Rights Division by emailing ParadiseEspressoLawsuit@atg.wa.gov or calling 1-833-660-4877 and selecting option nine.

Jenna Millikan: 425-339-3035; jenna.millikan@heraldnet.com; X: @JennaMillikan