Coyote Ugly Saloon

Specialties

Coyote Ugly Saloon is known for its world famous Coyotes slinging drinks, serving up delicious food, and their crazy antics while they dance on the bar. What will they do next? Come by and see!

History

Established in 1993.

The original Coyote Ugly Saloon opened January 27, 1993, in New York City, after Liliana Lovell declined an internship on Wall Street for a career as a bartender. Lovell perfected a routine of dancing on the bar, singing, and challenging customers to drinking contests.

The bar reached national prominence in 1997 when former bartender Elizabeth Gilbert wrote of her experiences in an article for GQ magazine, titled «The Muse of the Coyote Ugly Saloon». Producer Jerry Bruckheimer’s company bought the rights to the story from Lovell, and he produced the movie Coyote Ugly. Coyote Ugly opened in 2000 with Maria Bello in the role of Lovell and Piper Perabo as the newest «Coyote». It grossed more than $ 100 million worldwide.

From 2006 to 2008 CMT ran three seasons of The Ultimate Coyote Ugly Search, a reality show based on the hiring of the Coyotes.

Coyote Ugly now has locations throughout the United States, Germany, Russia, Ukraine, Romania, and Mexico.

Meet the Business Owner

Liliana L.

Business Owner

Liliana Lovell grew up in Westchester county, N.Y. She graduated from New York University with a degree in psychology and communications. During college, she worked as a bartender in New York City. While working on Wall Street as an investment banking intern, she made $ 200 a week. After making $ 300 a night pouring drinks, she started bar tending at a cowboy bar, the Village Idiot, to make money full-​time. Lovell managed the Idiot for three years, where she perfected her unique routine of dancing on the bar, singing, and challenging customers to drinking contests. She learned her business model «beautiful girls + booze = money» from her boss, and notorious bar owner, Tom McNeill. Lovell left to start her own bar with partner, and now husband, Tony Piccirillo. They leased a spot across the street from the Idiot and opened the Coyote Ugly Saloon on January 27, 1993. Modeled after the Village Idiot, Coyote Ugly was one of the original cowboy concept bars in the East Village.