For $25 an hour plus the cost of cover, Terry Bursey will go with you for a night out on the town and do his best to make you look good and meet new friends.

"If they're shy, they kind of want someone there with them to show them the ropes, give them the heads up, show them what spots are sketchy what ones aren't," said Bursey of his clients. "And also just help them enjoy their night."

"It's for people who are new to the city, especially baymen coming into St. John's," Bursey added, referring to rural Newfoundlanders and Labradorians.

Provider of professional buddy support

Bursey said he learned the tricks of the trade from a friend, who works as a professional wingman in Toronto.

"He kind of threw the idea at me and I've done it before just with friends in general, something the guys will do for each other every now and then, especially if they're kind of new to the scene, kind of shy," said Bursey.

Bursey said a professional wingman's job is to help his client socialize and stand out in a crowd by talking to other bar patrons or partygoers about his client in a positive way.

"They want the attention, they want the praise, they want to come into a group or a social situation and excel," said Bursey.

"I don't really put a big storyline behind it or a big fictional thing, I'm just more or less myself."

Bursey said professional wingmanship requires being a people person, and the ability to keep a calm and humourous demeanor.

Business is good

He added that with so many new people travelling in and out of St. John's, business has been good, which has proved there is a demand for this kind of service.

"It's pretty cool, actually, I didn't expect this much of a following to come from it, but like I said, people are there and they're interested."

Bursey did admit there have been a couple of times on the job when a woman his client was interested in was more interested in Bursey, the wingman.

"It was when I knew there was no hope for the guy anyway," said Bursey.

"If there was an end chance for that guy and that particular girl to begin with, well, it wouldn't have worked out that way."