Q&A: Does Coyote Ugly Franchise in the UK?

If you’re interested in the prospect of running an entertainment franchise that doubles as a bar franchise, running a Coyote Ugly Saloon might be right up your street. The original Coyote Ugly Saloon was the setting for Coyote Ugly (2000), and the name is now attached to an international chain of bars found from Memphis to St. Petersburg to Liverpool. Read on, and find out how to launch your own Coyote Ugly franchise.

Dancers and drinks combine in Coyote Ugly Saloon franchise locations across the globe, bringing in plenty of custom and benefitting from huge amounts of demand. The hospitality industry is bouncing back from the impact of COVID-19, predicted to grow by 128% this year [IBISWorld]. If you’d like to join the industry as it returns to full strength, investing with an entertainment franchise like Coyote Ugly might be a great way to make it happen.

Does Coyote Ugly franchise in the UK?

Yes, Coyote Ugly does franchise in the UK. This is just one of many countries being targeted for a continued campaign of global expansion, and if you have previous restaurant management experience, Coyote Ugly franchise opportunities could be right up your street, providing you with a uniquely profitable and well-recognised brand name and a strong built-in customer base.

Our carefully engineered, proven systems simplify the Coyote Ugly Saloon operation, empowering franchisees to dominate our segment and take advantage of the most famous bar on the planet and a brand known to the world.
- Coyote Ugly Saloon

The history of Coyote Ugly Saloon bars

The first Coyote Ugly Saloon opened in 1993 in New York City, when founder Liliana Lovell said goodbye to a Wall Street internship in favour of a career bartending. The second Coyote ugly opened in Las Vegas, and became the brand’s first franchise. Time went on, and Coyote Ugly Saloons continued to pop up here, there and everywhere - Texas, Florida, Colorado, Tennessee, so on.

Then, in 2009, the first international franchise operation kicked off in Russia. Germany followed, and in 2016, so did the UK. There are currently two Coyote Ugly Saloons in England and two in Wales (Birmingham, Liverpool, Swansea and Cardiff), and in 2018, the company was a Global Franchise Awards winner. 

Serving cheap tequila from a boot, bartending with boa constrictors, and just doing whatever the hell I wanted [is] what made the Coyote great. Even though things have changed in my life - I now have a beautiful son and live in San Diego - my Coyote Ugly Saloons are still run with the same mission statement. Quick wit, unshakable assurance, and the ability to take your last dollar has made Coyote Ugly what it is today.
- Liliana Lovell, Coyote Ugly Saloon

Start a franchise in the bar industry today with a Coyote Ugly business

If the wild saloon bar vibes of Coyote Ugly hugely appeal to you, and Liliana’s words have only further inspired you to make your move, keep reading. Discover the answers to the following three questions, and you’ll know everything you need to to make a franchise investment with Coyote Ugly (and, indeed, whether you’re the right person to do so)...

1. How do you go about becoming a Coyote Ugly Saloon franchisee?

You’ll need to request more information about franchising via Coyote Ugly’s website. The financial requirements, as detailed below, are a crucial element that all potential Coyote Ugly franchisees must be able to fulfil - so if you can’t, don’t get in touch. Unfortunately, you won’t be the right fit. Alongside the access to enough funds, the ideal Coyote Ugly Saloon franchise owner must:

• Have strong banking relationships and the ability to secure funding
• Have multiple years of experience in hospitality, particularly with multi-unit food and beverage operations
• Be able to deliver “an unrivalled customer experience” and demonstrate “a commitment to develop the Coyote Ugly Saloon culture”
• Live in their market and have strong ties to the local community
• Be able to manage employee recruitment, training and retention

Business ownership and development experience is also strongly preferred, and Coyote Ugly bar franchise investment options are available for a single unit, multiple units or a master agreement, depending on which you feel best suits you (and your level of relevant experience). Essentially, Coyote Ugly Saloon is “actively seeking highly qualified franchisee brand partners”, and all of the above “are important factors in [the franchise’s] selection process”.

2. How much do you need to invest?

To become a Coyote Ugly franchise owner, you’ll need to make an investment of somewhere between £315,000 and £790,000. This will depend on the location you choose to launch in, the size of your Coyote Ugly Saloon, and the type of investment you’ve made (a single unit agreement, multi-unit agreement or master franchisee agreement). A single Coyote Ugly site comes with a franchise fee of £39,500, and opening up to three units carries a fee of £79,000. 

3. What do you get for your investment?

For over 20 years, the Coyote Ugly team has been building its franchisee training programme to be the best that it can possibly be. And it’s 100% achieved this goal. As a franchisee, you’ll be supported to a high standard from one end of the process to the other, fully trained and fully guided both pre-launch and post-launch, years down the line. Whatever you need - and whatever questions you have - your franchisor will be on hand to provide/answer.

[You’ll train] at one of our corporate sites to experience all aspects of the Saloon, from the choreographed dances to the back-of-house tasks such as inventory and book-keeping. The training team also travels to the site to assist in the Coyote search and training of the team leading up to the grand opening.
- Coyote Ugly Saloon

Start a Coyote Ugly bar and enjoy the many benefits of running your own franchise

If you’d love to start a Coyote Ugly bar and you now know you could make it happen, don’t hesitate to get in touch with the company today and set your dream in motion. If the entertainment industry appeals to you, but you can’t quite foot the Coyote Ugly bill (or aren’t sure it’s the right fit for you), stay on Point Franchise. 

Check out lower-cost and equally exciting options like Funicular Productions, a franchise that creates engaging, immersive events by combining food and drink with theatre and performance. You can become a Funicular Productions franchisee for a minimum initial investment of £175,000, with franchise fees of £25,000.