Nelson bar hires ‘lingerie waitress’ to boost business
Lingerie waitress in Nelson’s Drifters Bar.
The owners of a Nelson bar are turning to a lingerie-clad waitress to help lift their business in the quiet winter months.
They say the initiative is not “rude, crude and undesirable” but rather a move to inject more entertainment. They are also searching, so far unsuccessfully, for a shirtless male waiter.
Owners Bryan and Jo Doran opened the western-themed “cowboy” bar Drifters in Nelson’s Bridge St on New Year’s Eve.
Lingerie Waitress Nikki at Nelson’s Drifters Bar on Friday night.
Bryan Doran said the decision to hire a lingerie waitress on Friday nights as “a bit of entertainment” came after a difficult start for the fledgling business.
While they started out with four live music nights a week, dwindling patronage forced them to cut down to just Saturdays.
“It was good to start with in the summer period but it’s starting to wind down in the winter period so it’s a case of finding new things to make the place interesting and get people out of their homes.”
Drifters Bar owners Jo and Bryan Doran say a lingerie-clad waitress is a tasteful addition to the bar’s entertainment.
The waitress works between 6pm and 8pm clad in a saloon-style corset, garter belt and skirt ensemble.
“I don’t want people to think of it as sleazy ‘cos it’s not,” Jo Doran said. “There are some girls in the bars around town who wear less than what [the waitress] does.”
“She’s fully dressed – it’s not naughty nighties or a G-string. I’m over 50 and I’m not into nudity and that sort of thing. I want something that’s tasteful that people will enjoy.”
Nelson’s Drifters Bar is advertising a Friday night lingerie waitress.
The Dorans left their motel and restaurant business near Tamworth, New South Wales last year.
The couple said lingerie waitresses were “huge” in Australian bars and the reception here was no different at the waitress’ first appearance last Friday.
“What we’re directing towards is the tradies,” Jo Doran said.
“Last week we got a lot of mechanics, butchers and [people from] around the port. Everyone that was here was polite and courteous.”
“If the guys can’t behave we’ll give them the short shrift.”
Window bars and signage warn off the easily-offended, although some Facebook commenters have called the venture “tacky” or felt it objectified the waitress.
Bryan said he and Jo wanted to hire a shirtless cowboy waiter to even out the playing field but were yet to find a willing candidate.
Jo said promotions for the new Friday night waitress had been “dissed” by a few but that the idea had also received support.
“I kept enforcing that it wasn’t rude, crude or undesirable and it’s only two hours out of seven days a week.
“I think there’s some narrow-minded people out there who need to come give it a go. We’re not trying to turn this into a strip joint.”
Ultimately the couple hope their family business can start making a name for itself in Nelson.
“There’s a lot of things I want to do with the place but we’ve put $100,000 into it and now we need to start making some of that back,” Jo said.
“We’re not a big multi-national,” Bryan said of the alternative music venue.
“We want to support the small guys (bands and breweries) like us who are trying to make a go of it.”
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- Stuff
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