Liliana Lovell
Liliana Lovell | |
|---|---|
| Born | September 29, 1967 Westchester County, New York, U.S. |
| Occupation | Businesswoman |
| Known for | Founder of Coyote Ugly Saloon and Ugly Inc.; host of The Ultimate Coyote Ugly Search |
Liliana Lovell (born September 29, 1967) is a prominent American businesswoman best known for founding the Coyote Ugly Saloon and Ugly Inc. She also served as the host of the reality television series The Ultimate Coyote Ugly Search. In the 2000 motion picture Coyote Ugly, her character was portrayed by actress Maria Bello.
Early life and education
Raised in Westchester County, New York, Lovell earned her degree in psychology and communications from New York University. While attending college, she gained bartending experience working in New York City.
Career
During an internship in investment banking on Wall Street, Lovell noticed she earned $200 weekly, but bartending provided $300 per night. This realization led her to pursue bartending full-time at Village Idiot, a cowboy-themed bar where she also took on management responsibilities for three years. There, she crafted a distinctive performance style involving dancing atop the bar, singing, and engaging patrons in drinking challenges. Her entrepreneurial approach—summed up as "beautiful girls + booze = money"—was influenced by her employer, bar owner Tom McNeill.
Coyote Ugly Saloon
Together with her future husband Tony Piccirillo, Lovell leased a defunct Italian restaurant located opposite the Village Idiot and launched the Coyote Ugly Saloon on January 27, 1993. Inspired by the Village Idiot’s concept, it became one of the pioneering cowboy bars in East Village, preceding establishments such as Doc Holliday's and Yogi's.
Between 1993 and 1997, Coyote Ugly enjoyed local popularity until it gained widespread recognition following former bartender Elizabeth Gilbert’s 1997 GQ feature titled "The Muse of the Coyote Ugly Saloon." In this article, Gilbert depicted Lovell’s vision of a Coyote bartender as a spirited and irreverent figure who combined warmth with dynamic showmanship.
Lovell actively recruited young women and trained them in her high-energy routines that included rapid alcohol consumption, fire breathing, singing, dancing, and shouting. Acknowledging diverse talents among her staff, she strategically paired bartenders whose skills complemented one another to maximize entertainment value.
Film
Disney secured rights to Gilbert’s narrative and transformed it into the film Coyote Ugly, produced by Jerry Bruckheimer. Released in August 2000, this romantic comedy-drama was directed by David McNally with a screenplay by Gina Wendkos. The movie starred Piper Perabo, while Maria Bello portrayed a character inspired by Lovell. Despite receiving mixed critical responses, it grossed over $61 million.
Following the film’s debut, Lovell’s establishment experienced an influx of visitors eager to immerse themselves in the bar atmosphere showcased on screen.
Ugly Inc.
Leveraging the heightened national profile, Lovell created Ugly Inc., a licensing enterprise operating under a standard agreement: licensees pay an initial fee of $50,000 along with 5% of gross sales and 25% of merchandise revenue. The inaugural franchise debuted in October 2001 within the New York, New York casino in Las Vegas. Subsequent openings occurred in Chicago, Atlanta, Boston, San Diego, and Lovell also inaugurated a venue in New Orleans.
While pursuing international growth, Lovell discovered that Jorge Manterola had established an unauthorized "master franchise" website targeting Latin America. After initiating legal proceedings, she formalized a licensing deal allowing him to open a Coyote Ugly location in Cabo San Lucas, subject to royalty payments; however, operational control remained restricted.
By 2002, Ugly Inc.’s revenue from licensing fees and royalties reached $1.5 million. In 2003, nine bars collectively generated annual revenues estimated between $22 million and $24 million and employed approximately 300 individuals. Drawing lessons from the Cabo experience, Lovell decided to maintain majority ownership over all future franchises to safeguard brand standards.
By 2016, the brand had expanded to its sixth outlet in Russia located in Sochi, with an estimated company valuation near $60 million.
The Ultimate Coyote Ugly Search
In 2006, Lovell introduced The Ultimate Coyote Ugly Search on Country Music Television (CMT), a reality competition where women auditioned to become official "coyotes." Under the mentorship of experienced bartenders and performers, participants developed skills in bartending and entertainment. The champion was awarded $25,000 along with the distinction of being the "Ultimate Coyote."
The series made a comeback in 2007 on CMT Canada, adopting a team-based competition format. Lovell handpicked five leading Coyotes from across the country to assemble teams by recruiting members from their local bars. The teams competing were:
| Home Bar | Coyote | Apprentice |
|---|---|---|
| New York | Maria | Regan |
| Charlotte | Kat | Stephanie |
| Memphis | Bri | Sandra "Mexico" |
| Nashville | Sally | Molly "Ice" |
| Fort Lauderdale | "Wiggins" | Amanda "Red" |
The New York team secured the $50,000 grand prize in 2007. The show's final season was broadcast in 2008.