Behind the velvet rope: a day in the life of New York City’s bouncers

A middle-aged white man approaches the door at St. Dymphna’s, a pub-style bar in Manhattan’s East Village. The man is clearly of age. He’s not visibly inebriated and he’s just one person. There’s no conspicuous reason to deny him entry, but he gets rejected anyway. Why?

Patrick Stubbs has been bouncing long enough to know that an older man coming alone could mean one of two things. He’s either a potential predator or he has a posse of friends en route to tell Stubbs that they have a friend inside and that they need to skip the line. So Stubbs gives the man a space: he can either leave, or wait for his friends to show up.

It may seem like bouncers sometimes offer or deny entry to club and bar goers for no good reason. But in interviews, bouncers revealed that there’s a lot more to what they do than immediately meets the eye. For those waiting in line, the decision from a bouncer can make or break a night. And more recently, revived conversations around issues like consent and harassment are making the job more interesting.

But first, what do bouncers actually do?

The term “bouncer” encompasses two roles: doorman and security. At more exclusive places, these are two different jobs. Security is the doorman’s backup in the event of a safety concern. They typically stand by the door unbuckling the velvet rope when prompted while the doorman decides who gets let in. The doorman’s main responsibility is to curate the vibe of the venue. They familiarize themselves with the energy the club owner or party thrower wishes to create inside and handle patrons accordingly. At the majority of venues, bouncers take on both of these responsibilities.

Bouncers work closely with promoters and venue owners to create the desired energy inside and aid reputation. Promoters and venue owners alike are typically more concerned with maximizing sales, while bouncers lean towards safety. Several bouncers reported that this dynamic can be a source of tension as promoters and venue owners often want to go against bouncers’ advice. Some ask bouncers to pack the venue past capacity; others nudge them to allow certain VIP guests to bring in contraband.

That places bouncers in a catch-22, Stubbs said. They are criticized when they don’t let people in, but when contraband or crowds lead to an issue inside, they are blamed for their leniency at the door. “When you work security, you have this target on your back,” said Stubbs. “Everyone wants to blame security from owners to promoters to patrons to cops.”

In order to navigate this dynamic, bouncers have to keep a lot in mind — things like safety, profit, reputation, and customer satisfaction. All of these factors vary depending on the venue, and they all inform how a bouncer approaches the door.In interviews, bouncers shared their most common reasons for denying entry. The first was underage drinking, which they said is typically revealed through poor quality fake IDs or unconfident behavior at the door. The second was over intoxication.

Bouncers said over intoxicated people tend to cause issues inside, whether that be by vomiting on the dance floor or picking a fight with another customer. They shared that a lack of balance, dilated pupils, glassy eyes, potent alcohol smell, and overall incoherence are all indicators that a patron is too intoxicated to go inside.

Additionally, bouncers deny entry to patrons whom they suspect will make customers uncomfortable. Every bouncer has a different process for weeding out these individuals that depends on the venue and their personal experience in the industry. In interviews, several bouncers explained that management can sometimes make it difficult for them to keep out the troublesome patrons.

Larry Pruitt has over a decade worth of experience in security. Two months ago, he joined Paul’s Casablanca in TriBeCa as a bouncer.

Recently, Pruitt was working the dance floor when a group of guys who had bought a table at the venue began picking fights with other guests. Pruitt had to break up two separate physical altercations, which he said were “instigated” by the party. But ultimately, management wouldn’t let Pruitt kick the guys out. “The people who I’m kicking out are not the instigators,” said Pruitt. “And then the manager says ‘well you know, they’re spending some money so that makes it difficult.’”

Bouncers are walking on somewhat of a tightrope. On the one hand, they’re responsible for everyone’s safety. On the other, they’re the face of the venue. They can’t be pushovers, but they can’t come across as too hostile either.

Patrick Stubbs walks this fine line through a series of de-escalation tactics he has branded “The Art of Fighting Without Fighting.” Every element of his demeanor is calculated when Stubbs is bouncing. Take, for example, his tactic for handling patrons who threaten him when they are denied entry.

One night, Stubbs was working the door at a music venue when the dance floor security threw a rowdy man out. The man started yelling and cussing at Stubbs and ultimately threatened to shoot him. Stubbs responded, “That sounds good. But then what?” Stubbs said that the man then got confused and started to back off a little bit. Ever since that night, he has responded, “and then what?” to every threat he has received. “Ninety percent of the time you have to save people from themselves. Because they’re not thinking,” said Stubbs. “So you have to grease the wheels.”

One venue in Brooklyn has taken an alternative approach to handling safety concerns. House of Yes in Bushwick was founded on principles of inclusivity and freedom of expression. Some of their guests come in costume; others, in elaborate makeup. One way House of Yes fosters inclusivity is by eliminating the ritual of a judgmental door.
Chris Pollens has been doing security at House of Yes for over six years. His job is not to filter out potentially troublesome patrons, but instead handle issues as they arise. “You can’t categorize people by how they look,” explained Pollens. “It’s usually the small things you don’t think about that tend to be a problem.”

House of Yes has two EMTs on staff prepared to treat any medical concerns that might arise. They’re equipped with Naloxone in the event of an overdose. The venue also has two chairs and a cooler stocked with water bottles next to their exit designated for overly intoxicated patrons who need to hydrate before leaving the venue.

Upon entry, patrons are met by House of Yes “Vibe Ambassador” J’royce Jata who welcomes them with a speech. Jata explains House of Yes’s stance against racism, homophobia, transphobia and all other forms of bigotry. They tell patrons to notify them in the event that someone behaves inappropriately inside and end their speech by hyping up the crowd and welcoming them to the venue. “We want everyone to have a great time. And that quite literally includes everyone,” said Jata. “So we just make that clear and other than that, f*** it up!”

Although every bouncer takes a different approach to door security, they all agreed on one thing: their love for their crew. Pollens has known many of his coworkers — whom he calls his brothers and sisters — for over ten years. He shared that spending time with them is his favorite part of the job.

“It’s the type of family that’s not blood,” he said. “It’s like brothers in arms… You know these people are really there for you because when shit hits the fan, they’re there.”