I believe there's a real bar called "Coyote Ugly".
I live not too far from it in New York City. I didn't know it, though, I hadn't even heard of this kind of bar. They don't really advertise, it's more based on word-of-mouth. It had always been there, but you could walk past it a hundred times and you wouldn't really notice it... until you go inside, and then it's hard to forget.
How so?
You can't order water. They'll spray you with the hose. I actually had a friend who went there. It's really hot inside. His friend made the mistake of saying "You got the heat on in here?" Really the wrong thing to say to the girls. They pulled out the hose and soaked him until he looked as if he'd just stepped out the shower.
You're also from New Jersey, like your character, and pursuing a similar dream of being a performer. Was that weird for you?
When I first read the script, it hit me like a ton of bricks. A year earlier, I had moved from New Jersey. The same train she takes back and forth from her house is the train I take back and forth from my house. I worked in a bar when I got to New York. It's really autobiographical!
Read what Piper's co-star Adam Garcia has to say about "Coyote Ugly".
