Shoreline shuts down cafe for operating unlicensed ‘adult cabaret’ after hours

Café Aroma in Ridgecrest was shuttered unexpectedly by the City of Shoreline after it accused the cafe of operating an unlicensed “adult cabaret” during the business’ off-hours.

The cafe was also operating without a valid business license, as theirs expired December 31, 2023, according to the City of Shoreline. Its regular hours are from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, with weekends opening an hour later.

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According to Shoreline Area News, the issue was brought to the city’s attention after a Ridgecrest resident submitted a See-Click-Fix notice. See-Click-Fix is a tool Shoreline uses to allow citizens to report and track non-emergency issues through the city’s website or its mobile app.

“I discovered that these events appear to be adult-oriented parties involving group sexual activities and BDSM practices,” the See-Click-Fix notice read, obtained by Shoreline Area News. “These events are particularly concerning given that they take place in what is typically used as the ‘kids’ room’ during the day, a space designed for children with toys and play areas.”

The “adult cabaret” was allegedly advertised online, with tickets to the after-hours events offered on Brown Paper Tickets. The ticketing site has since removed the events from its platform.

Café Aroma — located at 509 Northeast 165th Street — has existed within its community for 22 years, growing from an espresso stand outside an automotive repair shop into a widespread eatery with indoor and outdoor seating, a kids play area and a small community book-sharing library. The cafe was sold to new owners, Vicious Coffee, two years ago.

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The owners have 14 days to appeal the action of both notices the City of Shoreline flagged.

Frank Sumrall is a content editor at MyNorthwest. You can read his stories here and you can email him here.

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