For Dakota McCaine, supporting St. Louis businesses goes far beyond buying local: he wears his loyalty permanently on his skin. Known by his Instagram handle @humancouponstl, McCaine has turned his body into a living canvas of local pride. The South City native has tattooed more than a dozen logos from restaurants, bars and other small businesses across the city, often in exchange for a discount or just to show appreciation. “It started as a weird form of extreme couponing,” McCaine said. “But now it’s just been a fun way to show off my love for St. Louis.”
The first tattoo came as a nod to a friend’s brewery, Bluewood Brewing, where McCaine got inked with the Bananas and Blow logo. “I was getting discounts because of the tattoo, and a lightbulb went off,” he said. A spontaneous follow-up tattoo of the Headless Bat logo scored him a free drink right after the appointment. “It was such a fun thing for me,” he said.
That fun quickly snowballed into a full-blown project. McCaine began reaching out to other businesses he admired, asking if they’d offer perks in exchange for a logo tattoo. Many said yes. “Some businesses were definitely confused at first, but I got a lot of ‘hell yes’ responses,” he said. “Now I have a list of 12 more I want to get.”
The tattoos are done by local artists Miss Morgan and Kino at Iron Age and Ben Graham at Alchemy Tattoo Collective. Each one represents a place McCaine loves, like Strange Donuts, Urban Chestnut, The Vandy, Kenny’s Upstairs and The Improv Shop. “It’s also a great conversation starter,” he said. “People will ask what the logos are, or tell me about spots I haven’t tried yet. It’s a fun way to discover new favorites.”
Raised near Louisiana and Delor, just blocks from St. Mary’s High School, McCaine’s St. Louis roots run deep. He grew up in a mixed-use building owned by his grandfather, surrounded by family and food. “We were always either cooking amazing meals at home or out finding great restaurants,” he said, citing fond memories of eating at Crusoe’s, Gioia’s, and Cecil Whittaker’s.
That lifelong love of food evolved into a passion for exploration. As a teen, he road-tripped across the country, sleeping in his car and sampling local restaurants in every city. When he discovered cycling in his 20s, he brought that same curiosity home. “I got rid of my car and just started biking everywhere, stopping at places I’d never been to eat,” he said. “It was like doing those road trips on a local level.”
McCaine’s community focus extends beyond tattoos. He also runs Yell STL, a growing online calendar designed to help small businesses promote their events. “It’s still in progress,” he said, “but I’m proud to be building something that helps people connect with what’s happening around them.”
Despite traveling widely, McCaine has never considered leaving. “I’ve been to most states and multiple countries, and I can’t imagine living anywhere else,” he said. “Our food scene is unmatched. Our art and entertainment are amazing. And the way our community takes care of each other is inspiring.”
What started as a quirky idea has grown into a public love letter to the city he calls home. “These tattoos are more than discounts,” he said. “They’re my way of celebrating everything that makes St. Louis the best city on earth.”
Check out the slideshow below to see McCaine’s local pride in ink.
