Police Arrest 17 in California ‘Bikini Cafe’ Raid

A Southern California coffee shop billed as a “bikini café” has been shut down, and its owners arrested after police said the Garden Grove business violated multiple city codes, including public nudity and alcohol regulations, KTLA reports.

Officers raided DD Café on McFadden Avenue on Thursday following a complaint, according to the Los Angeles Times. Investigators discovered employees serving customers in bikinis or partially undressed, Sgt. Nick Jensen of the Garden Grove Police Department told the Orange County Register. Authorities also said the café was selling alcohol without a license, resulting in additional citations on top of other alleged violations related to public decency and business operations.

Seventeen people, including the café’s owners, were taken into custody during the enforcement action, police said. City code enforcement officials also “red-tagged” the building, ordering it closed until unspecified violations are corrected. Details on the specific charges and the identities of those arrested have not been released.

Jensen noted that this is not the first time Garden Grove police have targeted a bikini-themed coffee shop and indicated that investigators suspect similar businesses may be operating elsewhere in the city. Such cafés, which promote scantily clad staff as part of their business model, have drawn complaints and regulatory scrutiny in communities across the country.

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