Coyote Ugly Saloon
Coyote Ugly Saloon is a privately held bar and entertainment franchise operating 20+ locations across 12+ countries, built around female bartenders performing choreographed routines on the bar while serving drinks to nightlife consumers, parties, and corporate event clients.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1993
- HeadquartersSan Diego, United States
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Coyote Ugly Saloon does
Coyote Ugly Saloon is a privately held bar and entertainment franchise founded in 1993 by Liliana "Lil" Lovell in New York City and incorporated as Ugly, Inc. The company operates a western-themed concept in which trained female bartenders ("Coyotes") serve drinks while performing choreographed dance routines and interactive bar-top entertainment. Its core product is the in-venue entertainment experience, supplemented by VIP table reservations, corporate event hosting with full venue buyouts, branded merchandise, and a podcast. Operations span roughly 20+ locations across 12+ countries (United States, United Kingdom, Japan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Ukraine, Germany, and listed pipeline markets including Australia, Canada, Mexico, and South Africa), with headquarters in Cornwall, New York.
The business runs primarily as a franchisor, earning initial franchise fees and ongoing royalties from qualified franchisees, alongside direct food and beverage revenue at bar locations. Franchise investment ranges from $100,000 to over $1,000,000 per site, with site criteria of 2,000-6,000 square feet, 150,000+ population within a five-mile trade area, and $70,000+ average household income. Pricing is location-specific, with VIP tables and corporate buyouts sold transactionally. The customer base is end-consumer 21+ nightlife patrons, organized around party and celebration use cases (birthdays, bachelor/bachelorette parties) and corporate events, with no named enterprise contracts.
The company is founder-owned and led, with Lil Lovell as CEO, Justin Livingston as VP of Global Development, and Lee Killingsworth as Chief Media & Retail Officer. Technology is limited to a WordPress marketing website, bookcoyote.com for reservations, and standard social media channels (Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, X), with no public API, SDK, or proprietary AI components.
Coyote Ugly Saloon firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Coyote Ugly Saloon
- Legal name
- Ugly, Inc.
- Website
- https://coyoteuglysaloon.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1993
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Short description
- Coyote Ugly Saloon is a privately held bar and entertainment franchise operating 20+ locations across 12+ countries, built around female bartenders performing choreographed routines on the bar while serving drinks to nightlife consumers, parties, and corporate event clients.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Coyote Ugly Saloon industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Bar & Nightlife Entertainment
- NAICS
- Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) (722410)
- SIC
- Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Cocktail Bars & Lounges (CRANACAD)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Nightclubs & Dance Clubs (CRANACAG), Nightclubs & Dance Clubs (THAFAEAC)
Keywords
Where Coyote Ugly Saloon is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- San Diego
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices15 records
Markets served
Coyote Ugly Saloon business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Bar Sales - Food and Beverages: Direct sales of drinks and food at bar locations
- Franchise Fees and Royalties: Coyote Ugly awards franchises to qualified franchisees and earns franchise fees and ongoing royalties from franchise operations
- VIP Table Reservations: Revenue from VIP table bookings for birthdays, bachelor/bachelorette parties, and corporate events
- Private Event Buyouts: Full venue buyouts for corporate events and large celebrations
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | VIP Table Reservations |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels9 records
Coyote Ugly Saloon product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Coyote Ugly Saloon operates western-themed bar entertainment venues where trained female bartenders ("Coyotes") serve classic American bar drinks while performing choreographed dance routines, songs, games, and body shots on the bar top. The business earns revenue through direct food and beverage sales at company-owned and franchise locations, franchise fees and royalties from international operators, premium VIP table bookings, and full venue buyouts for corporate and private events.
Product overview
Coyote Ugly Saloon is a western-themed bar entertainment franchise featuring a unique concept where female bartenders ('Coyotes') both serve drinks and perform choreographed dances on the bar. The core offering centers on the bar/entertainment experience at company-owned and franchise locations worldwide. Supporting products include VIP table reservations and event hosting services, an online reservation platform (Book Coyote), a monthly employee recognition program (Coyote of the Month), branded merchandise, a podcast, and an international franchise program. The company operates locations across the United States (Austin, Denver, Las Vegas, Nashville, New Orleans, New York, Oklahoma City, San Antonio, Tampa, Daytona, Destin, Memphis, Fort Worth) and internationally (UK, Japan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Ukraine, Germany, Australia, Mexico, South Africa, Canada).
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Coyote Ugly Saloon Bar & Entertainment Experience Western-themed bar franchise offering female bartenders ("Coyotes") who serve food and drinks while performing choreographed dance routines, songs, games, and body shots on the bar top. Designed for adult (21+) consumers seeking a high-energy entertainment and nightlife experience at company-owned and franchise locations worldwide.
- VIP Table Reservations
Quantifiable outcome
- Over $113 million worldwide gross from 2000 movie
Companies that use Coyote Ugly Saloon
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Coyote Ugly Saloon technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Coyote Ugly Saloon partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.
- Piccadilly Franchise PartnercoreSecond London location announced for Piccadilly Circus, planned to open Spring 2023. Described as bringing the world's most famous bar to Central London.
- Cardiff Franchise PartnercoreCoyote Ugly Cardiff opened November 2016 as the company's first UK franchise location. Opening night tickets sold out with additional dates added.
- Banc Inc.flagshipAwarded franchise agreement for development of 15 bars in Japan. Banc Inc. owner Mahiro Tachibana described the nightlife culture in Japan as offering endless adventures. First location planned for Roppongi, Tokyo's busiest nightlife district. All 15 bars expected to open within five years.
- Daniyar Monolbaev (Kyrgyz Group)coreLed by Daniyar Monolbaev, this group already owns four bars, one restaurant and a café in Bishkek. First franchise location opened November 2016 in Kyrgyzstan's capital city Bishkek.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves11 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Coyote Ugly Saloon competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Dave & Buster's: Entertainment-anchored bar and restaurant concept combining food, drinks, and activities. Comparable in the 'entertainment + alcohol' value proposition and group/corporate-event customer base, though with arcade gaming rather than choreographed performance.
Direct peers
- Hooters: Iconic themed bar-and-grill franchise built around a distinctive hospitality format, female staff in branded attire, and high-energy atmosphere. Closest direct peer to Coyote Ugly in terms of franchise model, themed bar/entertainment concept, and demographic appeal.
- Twin Peaks: Themed sports-bar franchise featuring branded hospitality staff, high-energy atmosphere, and a strong bar/alcohol revenue mix. Operates a similar franchise-driven model targeting nightlife and group occasions.
- TAO Group Hospitality: Restaurant, nightclub, and event venue operator with branded nightlife concepts and VIP/event revenue. Comparable in high-energy nightlife positioning, VIP table and bottle-service economics, and corporate event hosting.
Broad incumbents
- Hard Rock Cafe: Globally franchised themed bar/restaurant leveraging iconic entertainment IP and memorabilia. Comparable in experiential bar concept, international franchise model, and merchandise-driven adjacent revenue streams.
- TGI Fridays: Long-established themed casual-dining bar franchise with global footprint. Comparable in franchise-driven international expansion and bar-centric revenue mix, though broader menu and less entertainment-focused than Coyote Ugly.
- Rainforest Cafe: Themed restaurant/entertainment franchise with global locations and immersive atmosphere. Comparable in themed-experience F&B, international franchise model, and family/group occasion targeting.
- Medieval Times: Themed dinner-entertainment concept with strong brand recognition and group/corporate event business. Comparable in the experiential entertainment + F&B model and group-occasion revenue focus.
- Buffalo Wild Wings: Large-scale sports-bar franchise with high alcohol mix, sports-driven traffic, and event/group appeal. Comparable in franchise-driven bar model and group-occasion positioning, though without the choreographed entertainment element.
Others
- Hershey's Chocolate World: Brand-anchored entertainment/retail concept leveraging a globally recognized consumer brand. Comparable as an example of monetizing an iconic brand through multiple experiential formats and international expansion.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights5 records
Customer concentration
Coyote Ugly Saloon social profiles
Digital presenceCoyote Ugly Saloon financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Coyote Ugly Saloon leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Coyote Ugly Saloon funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Coyote Ugly Saloon M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments1 record
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Coyote Ugly Saloon
What does Coyote Ugly Saloon do?
Coyote Ugly Saloon operates western-themed bar entertainment venues where trained female bartenders ("Coyotes") serve classic American bar drinks while performing choreographed dance routines, songs, games, and body shots on the bar top. The business earns revenue through direct food and beverage sales at company-owned and franchise locations, franchise fees and royalties from international operators, premium VIP table bookings, and full venue buyouts for corporate and private events.
Is Coyote Ugly Saloon a public or private company?
Coyote Ugly Saloon is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Coyote Ugly Saloon founded?
Coyote Ugly Saloon was founded in 1993. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is Coyote Ugly Saloon based?
Coyote Ugly Saloon is headquartered in San Diego, United States, in the North America region.
How does Coyote Ugly Saloon make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Bar Sales - Food and Beverages are the primary driver. The others are franchise Fees and Royalties, VIP Table Reservations and private Event Buyouts.
Who are Coyote Ugly Saloon's main competitors?
Dave & Buster's is listed as an emerging player. Direct peers are Hooters, Twin Peaks and TAO Group Hospitality. Broad incumbents are Hard Rock Cafe, TGI Fridays, Rainforest Cafe, Medieval Times and Buffalo Wild Wings. Hershey's Chocolate World is listed as an others.
Does Coyote Ugly Saloon have an API?
No public API is recorded for Coyote Ugly Saloon.
What industry is Coyote Ugly Saloon in?
Coyote Ugly Saloon's product category is Bar & Nightlife Entertainment. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRANACAD, Cocktail Bars & Lounges, with a secondary code of CRANACAG, Nightclubs & Dance Clubs. Its NAICS code is 722410 and its SIC code is 5810.