Get ready to howl — Coyote Ugly is making its post-COVID comeback.
And while the bar is brand-spanking-new, it’s about to get sticky from body shots and scuffed from bartender babes dancing in cowgirl boots — the raucous antics that inspired the 2000 cult classic film of the same name starring Piper Perabo, Maria Bello and Tyra Banks.
After closing its original East Village location last year, NYC’s ultimate dive is opening Wednesday in a new 2,000-square-foot home at 233 E. 14th St., just a few blocks away from its OG stomping grounds of 28 years.
Patrons will see snazzy upgrades to the infamous saloon with leopard wallpaper, green python upholstery and an art deco vibe.
“It’s a retro lounge dive,” CEO and founder Liliana Lovell told The Post of the bar’s latest iteration.
Along with spiffier decor, scantily clad Coyotes will be mixing up classic cocktails like Manhattans, Old Fashioneds and Gin Rickeys. There will also be “higher-quality” wine available — but mostly to suit the tastes of boss lady Lovell, who opened the dive nearly three decades ago with bartending tips. “Now I can get old in style,” she said with a laugh.
A full kitchen will also serve Colombian tapas — which Lovell chose as an ode to her “roots” — such as arepas, empanadas and salchicha sausage.
However, a few things won’t have changed, including the famous “Coyotes” who bust moves on the bar and pour shots down patrons’ throats — although Lovell said antics will be “tempered” as the city drops COVID-19 restrictions.
Coyote will also still be serving no-frills drinks — and don’t you dare order water or risk getting hosed down with a soda gun.
Lovell said her “original boots from 28 years ago” — the ones she notoriously lets customers take shots out of for $500 — will be displayed at the bar.
The bartender-turned-entrepreneur also personally hired the staff, including two “very high-end singers” and four bartenders returning from the last location. Opening night will see bartenders from around the country kick up their boots, as well as the unveiling of brand-new choreography.
Singing Coyote Skarlit Mazur, a 25-year-old Brooklyn transplant who is a newbie and started training last week, called the opening a “really bright spot for me.”
Laid off during the pandemic, Mazur, whose stage name is SKARLIT, said she’d been “antsy” looking for work. Now a “proud Coyote pup,” she said she learned of the divey institution from the film.
“I really identified with the lead character Violet being a struggling singer-songwriter,” she said. Now, after acing her audition, she’ll be “singing and dancing my ass off,” namely to “Heartbreaker” by Pat Benatar.
“I could actually cry from how happy I am to be back on the performance grind,” she added.
But the reopening has been a roller coaster of a journey for Lovell. The original spot, the first of 29 international locations, closed in September after “constant construction” and failed rent negotiations.
“It was emotional,” the normally spunky exec said, her voice cracking. “Hard making those decisions. But my pity party’s over and I’m ready. Ready to rock ‘n’ roll.”
Coyote 2.0’s debut was delayed by the pandemic — and the snail speed that New York gives out liquor licenses, which took eight months. Although she was hoping for a March opening, the delay has been a blessing in disguise.
“It’s actually great because now we can open at full capacity and we’ve hired only vaccinated people,” she said, noting the bar will follow the latest state protocols.
Plus, she was able to use her “creative license” in reimagining the honky-tonk — something she couldn’t afford in 1993 when she opened the first watering hole.
“I was pretty broke, so it was a complete dive,” she said, “14th Street is what I would have done 28 years ago if I had money.”
Lovell also told the staff to “start from scratch and let’s have some fun” in the new space, where they’ve been in “intensive” 10-day training for bartending and learning five new dance routines with HR director Chantel Maumus, who started out as a Coyote bartender 20 years ago and worked her way up.
The fun begins Tuesday night with a soft opening for Lovell’s family and friends, with a full house expected for Wednesday night’s grand opening. In typical Coyote Ugly fashion, navel-baring hotties will be gleefully dancing and singing while guests toast the opening in the only way this bar could.
“Instead of handing out Champagne, we’ll be handing out Pabst Blue Ribbon,” Lovell said.