At a busy East End parking lot, traffic flows to the rhythm of dance moves, smiles and trending TikTok songs.
Bakery Square security guard Edwin “Gator” Peoples dances his way through his workday — and has become a viral sensation.
He towers at 6 feet 5 inches and loves to show off his moves.
If you’ve seen Gator on TikTok, formerly of Nate and Gator, you’re among millions of viewers. Even other national brands like Walmart are taking notes and commenting on the videos.
A lot of people just know Nate and Gator as the “dancing Bakery Square security guards.”
When they worked together, they turned the ordinary act of directing traffic into something memorable. A little effort, a little personality and a willingness to make strangers smile can go a long way. In this case, it reached far beyond Pittsburgh.
“I love seeing a lot of people happy when they see me,” Gator said. “It’s a beautiful thing.”
Nate has taken a break from the dance routines but plans to return.
Gator is still at it.
A recent solo dance on Bakery Square’s TikTok gained 18 million views. Yes, million.
It all started with a marketing and events coordinator. Her name is Grace Papa. She and the security guards work for Bakery Square owner Walnut Capital.
She noticed the guards dancing in the parking lot and had a stroke of inspiration to put them on TikTok. The first video posted in February 2024.
Papa generally chooses trending songs on TikTok for background music. That’s genius marketing in the 2020s.
“They just danced all the time, like day to day dances, and I thought, ‘We’ve got to get these guys on TikTok,’ ” Papa said.
The online following has exploded over the past year.
“I’ve always wanted to go viral on TikTok,” she said. “Now that we have, it’s so awesome.”
When the act was Nate and Gator, they sported bright yellow vests and passed out stickers with their likenesses.
“Once we really blew up and got famous, we had to make it a little more scheduled,” Papa said. “Right now, it’s just Gator. Nate also tells me he wants to come back in June.”
Gator, who started working for Walnut Capital about three years ago, is 48 and grew up in the Hill District.
@bakerysquarepgh Nate is on vacay but the show must go on ????
♬ original sound - Victoriaaaa????????
The Pittsburgh popularity has been life-changing.
“I love coming to work here,” he said. “The customers see me, they ask to take selfies. They’re like, ‘That’s the guy on TikTok.’ ”
Drivers honk in support. Pedestrians stop to record videos or take photos.
The comments roll in online:
“Legend.”
“Watching this on repeat.”
“Get it, unc.”
The dancing security guard has become an unlikely ambassador for Bakery Square and Pittsburgh itself, showing how small moments of fun can resonate.
Gator has no plans to slow down.
“It’s different doing it by myself, but I just gotta keep on going,” he said. “The fans love it. A lot of people who know me never, ever thought I’d be on a sticker or on TikTok.”
Pittsburgh has long embraced public personalities who turn ordinary jobs into entertainment. Long before dancing security guards became social media sensations, Vic Cianca Sr., as a Pittsburgh police officer, was turning traffic control into performance art. His dance routines at busy intersections earned him appearances on TV’s “Candid Camera” in the 1960s and a cameo in the 1983 movie “Flashdance.”
TikTok trends come and go, but Gator’s formula remains the same: dance moves, a big smile and a flair for making the mundane weekday seem a little brighter.
Just don’t park too long in the short-term spaces.
