I've made thousands in tips as a 'shot girl' at a popular beach bar. Customers get creepy and even p

Publish date: 2024-07-22

2022-08-30T13:32:15Z

Sierra Anderson is a 23-year-old shot girl at Northbeach bar in Dewey Beach, Delaware.
Anderson gets paid entirely in tips and can make thousands in one night, but customers can get angry and even physical.
This is her story, as told to reporter Dorothy Cucci.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Sierra Anderson, a 23-year-old aftercare teacher and "shot girl" who works in Dewey Beach, Delaware. It has been edited for length and clarity.

As a Delaware native, I grew up going to Dewey Beach. The small coastal town is famous for its nightlife and, once my friends were old enough to go to bars, it's where I saw "shot girls" in action for the first time. The women —mostly in their twenties — walked around holding trays of colorful shots all night long and made a killing in tips.

I was looking for some extra income last May during my off months as an aftercare teacher, so I decided to give it a go. Now, I've worked at Northbeach, a tropical-themed beach bar on the water, for two summers in a row.

The hours are long, customers can be creepy, and it's more mentally and physically draining than I ever expected — but it's been worth the stress.

The hiring process was incredibly easy

There was no application. I walked into the bar and asked if they needed a shot girl, and the manager replied, "Can you start on Friday?" I was hired on the spot.

Usually, we work 15-20 hour shifts, sometimes with no real break. Saturdays are particularly long: we'll come in around 10 a.m., and stay until closing. By the time we finish counting our tips, it's usually 2 or 3 a.m. On holiday weekends, we come in earlier and leave later.

The first thing to do when we get there is make the first few batches of shots — huge buckets filled with either Malibu and vodka along with various mixers like orange juice, pineapple juice, or grenadine — which we'll use to fill our shots throughout the day. We also make jello shots the night before, so they're good to go the next day.

I fill up my tray with about 15 shots at a time and go back for more as needed, keeping track of how many trays I've sold. We're sort of like independent contractors: We don't get paid an hourly wage, so we keep all of our tips and pay back the manager for the alcohol at the end of the night.

Everyone keeps their tips in a fanny pack while they work, and we all keep track of our sales differently; I write mine down in a little notepad, while one of my coworkers keeps a tally on her arm.

My coworker and I dressed in theme for "Christmas in July" at Northbeach. Sierra Anderson

Our regular uniform tops are black-and-white sports bras with our logo, but we can also wear black bikini tops with Northbeach pins on them. Our dress code is pretty lenient, but flashier outfits (swimsuits, short skirts, and shorts) tend to bring in more tips. And on holidays, we wear fun themed outfits.

We also wear flashy makeup, usually with gems and sparkles — we kind of go for a "Euphoria" look. It's always a hit, especially with the younger crowd.

This is a sales job, above all else

To be a shot girl, you have to be confident and persuasive. I think the skills I've gained as a teacher have definitely helped me succeed in this job, patience being a huge one — dealing with drunk people and dealing with children are similar in a lot of ways.

When I first started I was extremely nervous, but now I have my strategy nailed down. Drunk men are the easiest to sell to, and couples are the hardest.

This is my Northbeach uniform. My makeup is inspired by the HBO show "Euphoria." Sierra Anderson

Bachelorette and bachelor parties are the best customers because they'll continuously buy entire trays, not just a few shots at a time. One time a bachelor party bought three of my trays and then Venmoed me $200 just to come back to their table.

It's important to establish a good rapport with customers. When I approach a group of girls, I'll compliment them, start a conversation, and ask if they need anything to drink.

Sometimes I give customers free shots, and they're allowed to buy us shots, too. (I'll often pretend I took a shot but really toss it behind my back so that I wouldn't have to drink on the job.) If you make people feel comfortable, they're more likely to keep buying from you.

Time is money in this job. It's common for male customers to try to chat with you and keep you at their table without any intention of buying shots. They just want to talk to you, so you have to be stern. In these scenarios, I'll say something like, "I'm sorry, but I have to go sell these," and keep moving.

It usually stays consistently busy throughout the day. On a slow night, I take home at least $200 after I pay the bar back, and on an average weekend night, between $300 and $700. The most I've ever made on a single day was probably about $2300 on the Fourth of July this year. This past Memorial Day weekend, I took home $5,000 over the course of four days.

These are long weekends, mentally and physically

It definitely requires a certain kind of mindset to be a shot girl, and it can be mentally taxing.

You're dealing with a lot of drunk men. They'll say very rude things and don't get the hint that you don't want them near you. I've heard some of them comment on my coworkers' weight, which is obviously disturbing, and certain men become angry if you're not giving them the attention that they want. They'll ask for your number and call you a slut if you say no — they don't understand that you're there to do your job.

There have been multiple instances where men have grabbed me as I'm walking around. It's horrible, but when that happens, all I have to do is point out the person to our security guards and they'll escort him out immediately. The guy usually makes a scene, but we have a zero tolerance policy.

It's hard to constantly keep a friendly face. Sometimes, I have to go to the back and collect myself. Since I've been doing this for a while, I'm able to shake things off relatively easily, but that's not the case for some of my coworkers.

Every other weekend, someone will be crying at the end of the night because they got too drunk accepting shots from customers, someone insulted them, or they were grabbed by a customer.

I sometimes feel like a piece of meat, but there are upsides to the job

My coworkers and I during a night shift. Sierra Anderson

The number one reason I put up with this job is definitely the money. But I also like that it's not a strict 9-5 job where I'm sitting at a desk all day.

I do makeup as a hobby, and it's fun to be able to express myself at work through my outfits and makeup. I sometimes feel like a piece of meat because of how we have to dress to make tips — but I appreciate that most people can't wear gems or hot pink eyeliner to work.

That said, this is going to be my last summer as a shot girl.

I know girls who have done this job for seven years, and I have no idea how they do it. I'm not a big drinker, but Dewey beach is a drinking town, and it takes a lot out of you being in that environment day in and day out. I don't really fit into that scene anymore — I'm ready to start my adult life.

My boyfriend and I are going to get a dog and move in together up north, so I'll probably end up bartending somewhere until I figure out what's next. Being a shot girl has definitely served me well over the past two summers, but as of now, I'm ready to move on.

If you have an unusual job and want to share your story, email Dorothy Cucci at dcucci@businessinsider.com.

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