Food and Society

More Than Just Drinks: Performance and Power in NYC Nightlife

NYC bottle service is marketed as a high-end party, but it’s actually an intense form of work where waitresses are paid to sell a “vibe.” Beyond just serving drinks, these women have to perform a specific kind of high-energy, glamorous personality to make customers feel like VIPs. This video shows how, in the nightlife industry, a worker’s mood and appearance become part of the product being sold.

Question: While bottle waitresses are hyper-visible as symbols of the club’s ‘brand,’ what forms of ‘hidden labor’ or social risks do they navigate behind the scenes that traditional food service workers might not encounter?

Posted

in

by

Fariha R. Khan (She/her)

Comments

1 response to “More Than Just Drinks: Performance and Power in NYC Nightlife”

  1. Arianna Duran Avatar
    Arianna Duran

    I feel like bottle waitresses may experience double the amount of harassment, sexual harassment, assault, or even stalking. That’s not to say that traditional food service workers don’t encounter it, but I feel like it’s something that’ll be more commonly seen in the NYC nightlife, especially given the crowd type. It’s people and celebrities who like to party, drink, do drugs, and spend money, and it’s usually very sexually based. Once people become under the influence, their whole demeanor changes, and it can be so very dangerous for those bottle waitresses.

Leave a Reply