Ever find yourself at a bar like Turtle Bay in midtown, buying brightly colored shots that essentially have no alcohol in them and that most people past (the first semester of) their freshman year in college wouldn’t be caught dead drinking, and stop to ask your buddies a serious question which is, “You think our waitress wants a piece of this? She’s been throwing me vibes alllll night.”? You have Bryan Auld and Dominic D’Aleo to thank. The former JPM and Bear analysts co-founded Auld D’Leo in 2007, which “outsources the services of shot girls to bars in Manhattan” and that shot girl really does like you! Well, she’s actually taking pity on you/wants your money, but same diff/no diff. “For a lot of guys this could be the only time all night a girl comes up and talks to them,” said Giovanna Coluccio, one of 25 shot girls. In exchange for speaking with you, the ladies take home $300-$600 a night in tips (in addition to 25 cents per drink, which cost 15 cents to make and sell for $3 or $4). According to the co-founders, profit has increased 16% since 2007 and the ladies take business very seriously, following a list of “best practices” given to them on their first day of work.

“Personality is key. Physical looks alone will only get someone so far. Be as friendly, personable, upbeat as possible. Customers will feed off your energy.” These are the first rules in a list of best practices, or the shot-girl bible each girl memorizes before she picks up her tray. The list of 10 best practices of the trade was created by Mr. Auld. The entire stable of ladies meets weekly to discuss and tweak the curriculum of selling practices.Their product is recession proof. It’s all about micro-sales, selling something extremely cheap in mass volume. This is best practice number six: “Do not spend too much time with a patron or group of patrons. The foundation of our strategy relies on high-volume sale propositions. We must walk the fine line of being quantity salesman, while giving respect to those who purchase our items.” Among the other rules in the shot-girl bible: Never give up and always be the friendliest girl in the room. You’re not selling cheap liquor, you’re selling flirtation.

Let’s take a look at the practices in action.

Giovanna Coluccio was none too happy to be tipped with a fruit roll-up. “We’ll hit an ATM later,” a 23-year-old guy wearing a button-down and a backpack told her, curiously free of the requisite sheepishness that tipping an attractive woman with a fruit snack should conjure. Ms. Coluccio, also 23, stayed cool. She smiled, flipped her layered brown hair and walked away, a tray of candy-colored drinks balanced in her arms, a roll of cash tucked in her apron and the roll-up stashed in her pocket. In her wake, Backpack slurred to his buddy: “I’m gonna marry that girl.” Backpack later bought four rounds of shots from Ms. Coluccio. He tipped her $30 in cash.

Comments (43)

  1. Posted by Randall | September 3, 2010 at 2:55 PM

    Bonus Watch: Morgan Stanley 2nd year top bucket – Family Size box of Fruit Roll-ups. 2nd bucket – pack of Fruit Stripe gum

  2. Posted by ExtraOrdinaryPopularDelusions | September 3, 2010 at 3:00 PM

    what this market really needs is a “huge breasts and a glass filled to the brim with whiskey” girls.

  3. Posted by InfiniteGuest | September 3, 2010 at 3:00 PM

    Be the hyena .

  4. Posted by Anonymous | September 3, 2010 at 3:01 PM

    Sounds like Man Hands finally found her calling:

    “Her secret weapon is her inordinately large hands on a petite and pretty frame.

    When a group of guys waver over a round of drinks, she proposes a wager. “If my hands are bigger than yours, you’re buying.”

    They take the bet. They buy the shots.”

  5. Posted by Guest | September 3, 2010 at 3:03 PM

    The oldest profession still works a treat.

  6. Posted by Guest | September 3, 2010 at 3:10 PM

    Don’t tell me you need an MBA for this.

  7. Posted by NakedShort | September 3, 2010 at 3:11 PM

    I can easily cut out that 15 cent overhead of making the shots.

    -Michael Lallana

  8. Posted by xel | September 3, 2010 at 3:16 PM

    As an employee of this firm, you WILL make a million dollars within 3 years. It’s not a question of whether you’ll become a millionaire working here, it’s a question of how many times over. Running shot girls is the NKI.

  9. Posted by Hamilton | September 3, 2010 at 3:18 PM

    My Bonobos get me free fruit roll-ups 60% of the time, all the time.

  10. Posted by Mitch Cumstein | September 3, 2010 at 3:19 PM

    With a name like D’Leo, I am shocked, *SHOCKED*, to discover he worked for Bear.

  11. Posted by Anonymous | September 3, 2010 at 3:24 PM

    That sucks. UBS top bucket got a large bag of sour skittles that vests over three years.

  12. Posted by The Aristocrat | September 3, 2010 at 3:25 PM

    Rule 17: If a customer starts to show you how a one-armed man counts his change, move on to the next customer.

    Rule 18: If a customer starts a conversation with, “You know, I have a MBA from…” smile but do not guffaw, chortle, snicker, etc…

    Rule 19: Even if he requests it, never pull a clients finger.

  13. Posted by Mitch Cumstein | September 3, 2010 at 3:26 PM

    I’m going to start a similar firm partnered with Ray Dalio. However, the females will talk incessantly about manolo blahnik shoes, while bitching about their periods, an agitating yeast infection, and whether or not Dalila took too much ‘brow off with the last waxing. They’ll leave for 5 minutes, only to return with more shots and a slight against you for not remembering what tone their natural hair color is.

  14. Posted by Sss | September 3, 2010 at 3:27 PM

    what the fuck does that mean you wanker?

  15. Posted by Mitch Cumstein | September 3, 2010 at 3:31 PM

    It means that Bear had the best pedigree on the street, and I can’t believe they let a dirty Italian walk through their hallowed halls.

  16. Posted by Guest | September 3, 2010 at 3:32 PM

    You sound like a regular at these venues

  17. Posted by Mitch Cumstein | September 3, 2010 at 3:36 PM

    Temporary tattoos are the new killing it.

    -Man de la Zebra

  18. Posted by Guest | September 3, 2010 at 3:38 PM

    Tits > MBA > Cat Fancier’s Association > CFA??

  19. Posted by AmericanBandersnatch | September 3, 2010 at 3:50 PM

    An excellent article. It reminds me why I hate almost everybody.

  20. Posted by Shaniqua | September 3, 2010 at 3:52 PM

    Would they consider employing black girls with big asses to serve Purple Drank in styrofoam shot glasses?

  21. Posted by Guest | September 3, 2010 at 3:59 PM

    Paging Debrahlee: your new calling just called.

  22. Posted by guest | September 3, 2010 at 4:00 PM

    pic #1 yes, no, yes (Eli w/extended forefinger), no
    pic #2 no, no, good demo, no

  23. Posted by Dow | September 3, 2010 at 4:17 PM

    F@*k the shot glasses, give me pussy!!!

  24. Posted by guest | September 3, 2010 at 4:23 PM

    Better than “Cash bonus that you won’t see for a year”…. amiright?

  25. Posted by Guest | September 3, 2010 at 4:27 PM

    Can I just do a shot out of her pussy?

  26. Posted by LordHumongous | September 3, 2010 at 5:02 PM

    To become a member of Bear Stearns you’ve got to be one hundred per cent Italian so they can trace all your relatives back to the old country.

  27. Posted by Anonymous | September 3, 2010 at 5:09 PM

    big hands, HUGE vagina

  28. Posted by NKVD1938 | September 3, 2010 at 5:12 PM

    Those chicks would totally kill it if that was the night that the talent roster from Cash Money Records rolled in.

  29. Posted by Anonymous | September 3, 2010 at 5:21 PM

    I never carry cash especially because I would be tempted in those places. Now if we can figure out how to place a card swipe between her breasts, then maybe……

  30. Posted by ExtraOrdinaryPopularDelusions | September 3, 2010 at 5:39 PM

    Honestly, purple drink isn’t a proper noun. That’s kind of the entire point.

    Though I did laugh a bit.

  31. Posted by ExtraOrdinaryPopularDelusions | September 3, 2010 at 5:41 PM

    You are not alone.

  32. Posted by ExtraOrdinaryPopularDelusions | September 3, 2010 at 5:50 PM

    That’s not a bad idea actually. Pretty easy, technically. Only real concern is the whole molestation/prostitution laws. If you can get around that you’d be rich.

  33. Posted by NKVD1938 | September 3, 2010 at 5:53 PM

    Whaaaat? The shot girls don’t ACTUALLY like me. I am just absolutely crushed. Oh well…. I hope Destiny and Savannah and, uh, DebrahLee and the rest of those nice girls at the Spearmint Rhino will console me as I try to pick up the emotional pieces of my life.

  34. Posted by Guest | September 3, 2010 at 6:01 PM

    HELLO? hello-o-o-o-o……

  35. Posted by Mr. Market | September 3, 2010 at 6:06 PM

    In soviet russia, bar shots you?

  36. Posted by Guest | September 3, 2010 at 7:16 PM

    That’s just a big bowl of wrong

  37. Posted by PermaGuest | September 3, 2010 at 7:17 PM

    Not true.

    -Token WASP

  38. Posted by Macquinsey Consultant | September 3, 2010 at 7:37 PM

    Goldmans need to hire these girls out to send to thier clients in a PR effort to improve their client-focussed image.

  39. Posted by Bigjls | September 3, 2010 at 9:05 PM

    I am not sure about all this broker talk but the girls are HOT at TURTLE BAY!!!!!

  40. Posted by AmericanBandersnatch | September 3, 2010 at 10:13 PM

    My uncle got a bad case of NK VD on R&R after Inchon.

  41. Posted by Anonymous | September 4, 2010 at 8:49 PM

    test comment.

  42. Posted by Mr. Nobody | September 5, 2010 at 5:38 AM

    “It’s all about micro-sales, selling something extremely cheap in mass volume…You’re not selling cheap liquor, you’re selling flirtation.” So, they’re selling blue balls with a complimentary side of cheap ass alcohol. Superb.

  43. Posted by Wanker | September 5, 2010 at 11:07 PM

    Pfft! I get blue balls for free all the time.

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