19 hours Ago By Molly Myers
CHICO — I didn’t mean to become a regular at Naked Lounge. But like so many others who walk in uncertain and walk out a little more grounded, it just happened.Scott Miller, for example, ended up there after losing his Paradise home in the Camp Fire.
He drove to Chico and spent the fateful day at the coffee house figuring out where to go next.“I just stayed,” said Miller, a near-daily regular at the establishment since 2018. “It’s just got an ambience.
The people are wonderful. It’s just a wonderful place to be.”I know what he means.
I first came to Naked Lounge looking for a place to write outside my apartment — I stayed for the vibe.Barista Emily Gordon reads a book at the Naked Lounge patio on Wednesday, April 16, 2025 in downtown Chico, California. (Molly Myers/Enterprise-Record)Miller is one of many eccentric characters I’ve met here, making it the eclectic coffee joint it is.
On any given day, it’s common to see musicians performing out front; dogs on and off leash, wagging their tails, with their coffee-holding owners; and meticulously pieced-together thrifted outfits donned by happy customers. Beyond coffee, it’s a place to see people and be seen.Once, Miller went four days without going to Naked Lounge.
When he returned, regulars and baristas alike expressed relief in seeing him, asking where he had been.The entirely female barista crew, run by manager Marissa Taylor, harps on the importance of community at their coffee shop. After working at the lounge for almost four years, Taylor said she’s met a variety of interesting people.
“It’s all regulars all the time,” Taylor said. “I feel like this is a safe spot to be who you are.”Barista Thea Nicoles moved to Chico from Quincy after growing weary of the wildfires near her home.
She began coming to Naked Lounge as a customer in 2021 and found meaningful connections, before being hired on a year ago.“The regular-to-employee pipeline is crazy,” Nicoles said.Emily Gordon shared a similar experience.
She started going to Naked Lounge three to four times a week to get out of her house while enduring a mold issue. She ended up making friends and two weeks ago began working as a barista.“If you’re lonely, go to Naked Lounge,” Gordon said.
The employees mentioned that sometimes people will call and ask if the coffee is served by naked baristas, because of the name. Nicoles joked that in the summer, it’s so hot, she sometimes wishes she could serve coffee naked.Some customers have come up with their own name for the place, based on its community spirit.
“A lot of people call it ‘the living room,’” Nicoles said.‘Golden age’Councilmember Addison Winslow considers Naked Lounge the lobby to his office, which is located on the second floor of the building next door. Between City Council, Naked Lounge and his office, he noted most of his time is spent in downtown.
“Except for, like, a couple of homeless guys, I might be like the most downtown person right here,” Winslow said. “I know some people live in downtown apartments, so that would have me beat.”Having grown up in Chico and seen Naked Lounge evolve, Winslow said the coffee house “is in a golden age.
”“There’s a lot of culture and community around the space,” Winslow said. “A lot of different sorts of people are using the space and are all getting to know each other.”Naked Lounge barista Thea Nicoles smiles after brewing a latte at Naked Lounge on Wednesday, April 16, 2025 in downtown Chico, California.
(Molly Myers/Enterprise-Record)While Winslow sees Naked Lounge as the lobby to his office, I see it as my office. My work with the Enterprise-Record has been almost entirely remote since I started in January 2024. As of February, the E-R does have an office located at 3881 Benatar Way, Suite G.
where we are welcome to work.However, Naked Lounge is within walking distance for me, and the energy is so unpredictable and exciting that I fear I’ve become too attached to work elsewhere.I’ve spent countless hours on my pink laptop at the cafe.
On better days — though admittedly less productive — my coworker Michael Weber joins me to type and yap. A huge perk of the shop for remote workers like us is a plethora of outlets to plug your laptop into.Certain coffee shops can be a bit stingy when it comes to outlets — not this one.
Once a week, we reporters and editors at the E-R get together for coffee. When I get to choose the place, I choose Naked Lounge.ArtsBesides selling coffee, tea, Chico Chai, homemade syrups, small snacks and canned beverages, Naked Lounge also displays and sells art from new artists each month.
Currently, a variety of pieces made by Chico High students decorate the cream colored walls.In addition to art, the cafe also doubles as an all-ages music venue at night.“It’s been this like remarkable revival in nightlife,” Winslow said, “especially nightlife for all ages.
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Is there a more active late place for teenagers to hang out, than Naked Lounge? I don’t know of anything.”In the back of the shop sits a slightly raised stage. The floor is covered with flyers from different bands that have performed in Chico, sealed in enamel.
It’s a detail Taylor said customers often overlook.Brandon Squyres — lifelong Chicoan, contractor, musician and former contestant on “The Amazing Race” — owns Naked Lounge with Michael Lee and Sarah Schlobohm. The latter two are also owners of Momona, a noodle and bao restaurant in downtown Chico.
Because of their busy work with the restaurant, Squyres said, Lee and Schlobohm are minority owners at Naked Lounge.Naked Lounge was founded in 2001, with Squyres buying the business in 2020. He had his sights on the coffee house for a while and told the original owners to let him know if they ever wanted to sell it.
When COVID hit, they were ready.“It was the worst possible time to buy a business,” he said.Despite the dismal economic timing, Squyres went ahead with the purchase.
He’d seen the positive impact the location had on the community, and hoped to keep it afloat.“It makes me really happy to keep this place going,” Squyres said. “I just want everybody to feel welcome, no discrimination.
”There is another Naked Lounge in Sacramento founded by the Chico location’s original owners. It now has no affiliation with the Chico location.Naked Lounge is located at 118 West Second St.
and open 7 a.m. to 4 p.
m. Monday through Friday and 8 a.m.
to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
If you bring in your own cup, you can get 25 cents off your beverage. If you pay with cash, you can get 50 cents off your beverage. If you pay with cash and bring in your own cup, you get a whopping 75 cents off of your beverage.
Reach Molly Myers at [email protected].
