Wicked Grounds
Wicked Grounds is a venue in San Francisco
The Kinkiest Coffeehouse in the West
- Violet Blue: The literal mix of coffee and fetish at Wicked Grounds
- Violet Blue, special to SF Gate - Thursday, July 30, 2009
Like our sex culture here in San Francisco, our coffee culture has become so refined, so fetishized, and so obsessive that it makes even the most debauched, moneyed, extreme fetishist seem ordinary. Just take a trip to delicious Bluebottle at the Mint to watch the connoisseurs ogle and squirm over the coffee machines that cost the same as a car. Our coffee culture has its BDSM parallels in check: don't even try to be nice to the jerks behind the counter at Four Barrel who openly treat you lower than a pathetic worm who could never possibly be good enough to drink their holy lattes.
Yes, we've got some of the best cafes and coffee in the world; but for the attitude at some places, you might as well visit a dominatrix and get your money's worth. (And you'll want thank the Mistress for her "17-foot Ceiling" rather than pour your $5 Four Barrel down the drain.)
This hot caffeination might have been the inspiration for Wicked Grounds, opening in SOMA within the next two weeks. Combining San Francisco's notorious BDSM culture -- and the embarrassment of riches we have in kinky people, places and things -- with coffee fetishism and cafe culture, it will be a don't-miss experience for anyone over 18 who'd love to mix cafe culture, great coffee, and decadent fantasy.
Bring a tip for your sexy barista, a leash for your human kitten, and according to Rose White at Wicked Grounds, they'll provide kitty's latte in a bowl so you may enjoy the atmosphere with your pet well cared for. And as the "first and only kink cafe and boutique" in San Francisco (or the United States), you can likely also get your boots shined and pick up a few adults-only souvenirs.
Readying to open in the next two weeks, I got a moment with White to get the details on her erudite intentions for her very naughty cafe:
Violet Blue: What is the inspiration for Wicked Grounds? Coffee fetishists, or fetishists who love coffee?
Rose White: Yes! We'll be selling more than just coffee though: tea from Red Blossom, fresh smoothies and juices, milkshakes, freshly baked sweets, salads, and sandwiches. Not to mention the artisan toys, jewelry, and artwork!
VB: What's the ethos, or guiding vision behind Wicked Grounds?
RW: When it comes to our food, drink, and toys, our ethos is to supply from small, artisan craftspeople who take pride in their innovative ideas and production quality. Our overall aim is provide a friendly, welcoming space for the whole kink community.
VB: In a city of Ritual Roasters vs. Bluebottle vs. Epicenter Cafe vs. Philz Coffee, what kind of coffee will you be serving at Wicked Grounds?
RW: We've been lucky enough to have been accepted by Ritual. They have a very similar ethos to us and amazing coffee! Not only will we be serving espresso drinks, but there will be a selection of different freshly ground coffees that we'll serve in individual French presses.
As Wicked Grounds is half owned by an English gal, we have to mention the Red Blossom tea too! We'll have about a dozen different teas that customers can choose from, all served in a gorgeous individual glass teapot that sits on a porcelain teacup.
VB: What will the atmosphere be like? And do decaf drinkers get spanked? Whips if no tips?
RW: More like 'whip if you tip', as we do want tips after all! Wicked Grounds will be a cozy, inviting space with an old-style coffeehouse feel. So much of SOMA is hard and industrial in style, and we wanted to do something different. For example, each piece of furniture will have some way to attach a person to it, as we wouldn't want your submissive or human pet to run away whilst you're in the bathroom, now would we?! Not to mention the tabletops that will have different things on them: a chessboard, a Monopoly board, and a map of human sexuality, that kind of thing!
VB: Will you hold events, and if so, what kind? Anything planned for the opening?
RW: We won't have live entertainment to start with, but we are planning on holding a monthly 'bring your human pet night' ('the only place in San Francisco to get your coffee in a dog bowl'), fortnightly chair massages, discussion groups, book signings, and of course, munchies. We will have a back area that can be curtained off for private or small events.
For our grand opening, we're planning on just having a big party!
VB: Will Wicked Grounds be geek-friendly, with lots of outlets for laptops and free Wi-Fi? Also, any thoughts on why geeks tend to be kinky and vice-versa?
RW: Yes, we'll be geek friendly -- we think we'd get tied up and punished by our friends if we weren't... And it's a good point that there tends to be an overlap between geeks and kinksters -- we're not sure we have any explanation, but it's true for ourselves!
VB: Will it be an 18+ space, or all-ages coffeehouse?
RW: It'll be 18+. Since we'll be selling kink/BDSM/erotic toys and artwork, we'll be limited to adults only. But I think most would agree that it's appropriate!
VB: When is the opening?
RW: We're aiming for (tentatively) August 4, but this is subject to minor change. Keep an eye on our Web site at wickedgrounds.com or our Twitter at twitter.com/wickedgrounds to find out the specific date nearer the time!
Wicked Grounds is located in SOMA (South of Market Area): Address:
- 289 8th Street 289 8th Street, San Francisco, CA 94103 (map)
- San Francisco
- CA 94103
Telephone:
- +1 415 503 0405
www.wickedgrounds.com
Violet Blue is a Forbes "Web Celeb", notorious blogger (Laughing Squid), high-profile tech personality and one of Wired's "Faces of Innovation." She writes for outlets ranging from Forbes.com to O, The Oprah Magazine. She is regarded as the foremost expert in the field of sex and technology, a sex-positive pundit in mainstream media (CNN, The Oprah Winfrey Show) and is interviewed, quoted and featured prominently by major media outlets. Violet has many award-winning, best-selling books, a famous podcast, is fun to follow on Twitter, and is a San Francisco native.
Blue headlines at conferences ranging from ETech, The Forbes Internet Leadership Conference, LeWeb and SXSW: Interactive, to Google Tech Talks at Google, Inc. Her tech site is Techyum; her audio and e-books are at Digita Publications.
For more information and links to Web sites discussed in Open Source Sex, go to Violet Blue's Web site, tinynibbles.com.
Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2009/07/30/violetblue0730.DTL#ixzz0pjxV5xQ9
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