What ordering an "angel shot" at a bar really means
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If you've ever heard a fellow bargoer order an "angel shot," they're not asking for a new, trendy drink. They're asking for help.
Why it matters: An "angel shot" is a coded order patrons can give to a bartender, server or bouncer to let them know they're in trouble or feeling threatened while at a bar or restaurant.
- A Chicago law is aiming to make sure more hospitality workers know what it means.
Driving the news: A city law passed last fall called on the National Restaurant Association to include training for hospitality workers on how to respond to an "angel shot" order.
- The law's sponsor, Ald. Brian Hopkins, says the NRA is in the process of incorporating it into their training.
How it works: Ordering an angel shot with lime means you would like a staffer to call the police; angel shot "neat" means you need someone to walk you to your car; and "on the rocks" is a request for someone to call you an Uber or taxi.
Flashback: Angel shot is an offshoot of the "Ask for Angela" campaign that started in the U.K. in 2016 with signs that alert guests to say that name to signal for help. (Viewers of the show "Blue Lights" may have picked up on an "Ask for Angela" storyline in the latest season.)
What they're saying: Hopkins learned about "angel shots" when a woman at a bar in the alder's ward ordered one.
- "The bartender knew immediately and went and got an off-duty police officer who was working security. When the offender saw security walking toward him, he bolted off the barstool and ran out the door," Hopkins tells Axios.
Yes, but: Some of the bar's other staffers didn't know about "angel shot" and the outcome would have been different had the person ordered from one of them. The bar is training all its staff now, Hopkins says.
Zoom in: Guillermo Bravo, beverage director for Ever Restaurant Group, tells Axios an "angel shot" signals a "serious situation," and he and his colleagues assess the situation and determine the best way to respond to keep the patron safe.
But, Bravo adds, he's always keeping an eye on any potential dangers. "I typically wait until the aggressor steps away or their attention shifts, then discreetly ask the individual if they're OK. Based on their response, I decide whether immediate action is needed."