Bar Has A Secret Drink Order For Women Who Are In Trouble

Bar tells women to order an “Angel Shot” to get out of a bad date

A Portuguese fusion restaurant and bar in St. Petersburg, FL is going the extra mile to assure female patrons they’re safe. In the era of Tinder and Plenty of Fish, women may go out for drinks with total strangers. A man may not be what his profile seems, and a woman can find herself in a potentially unsafe situation.

In that case, The Iberian Rooster asks that women go to the bar and order an “Angel Shot.”

According to The Tampa Bay Times, a sign in the women’s restroom asks, “Are you on a date that isn’t going well? Is your Tinder or Plenty of Fish date not who they said they were on their profile? Do you feel unsafe, or even just a tad bit weird?” Then order an Angel Shot, the sign says. Order it neat, and a bartender will escort you to your car. With ice, and a bartender will call an Uber or a taxi. Order it with lime and they’ll call the police.

Seem extreme? It can be hard to extricate yourself from a dangerous situation, even with a relative stranger. “The goal for this place was to be a safe place where people can go on a romantic date,” Iberian Rooster owner Russell Andrade said. “We don’t want someone else to ruin a good a time.”

They hung the framed sign on the first day they opened in November. The owners decided to adopt the “angel shot” policy after seeing a similar campaign on Twitter. The Lincolnshire Rape Crisis, “a support service for women and girls,” made a poster that told women to “Ask for Angela” if they found themselves in a potentially unsafe situation. They plastered it in women’s restrooms and loos throughout the city. Another bar, Brickyard, in Hitchens, England did the same thing, but told women to ask for Rachelle or Jennifer and said “we’ll get you out of it or ask for a taxi.” These give women ways to back out of a date going south, and help make bars and restaurants safe for everyone.

The Iberian Rooster has the right idea. Codes like this one could be useful in every bar in America. Of course, the codes aren’t perfect. As Bustle points out, it’s not just women who may need these code words – men can get themselves into trouble on dates as well.

All this publicity has the Iberian Rooster modifying their policy. A hostess told Scary Mommy, “We’re changing the name of the drink as we speak.” The signs have come down from the bathroom, since they don’t want women to feel awkward ordering a shot now that everyone knows what it’s for. But the drink will be back soon, with a new name, and they plan on periodically changing the order so it keeps its intended, secret purpose.

All restaurants and bars in America should take a cue from the Iberian Rooster. All women deserve a safe way out – and this is a great way to ensure they have one.