A women’s sports bar is opening in Minneapolis ahead of Women’s History Month

‘We’re just looking to provide an inclusive space to watch women’s sports,’ owner says

A Minneapolis sports bar catering exclusively to women’s sports is set to open at the start of Women’s History Month.

On 1 March, a women’s sports bar called A Bar of Their Own will open its doors to the public, taking over what once was Tracy’s Saloon in the Seward neighbourhood of Minneapolis. Named after the film A League of Their Own - which follows a World War II-era female baseball league - A Bar of Their Own seeks to provide a space where only women’s sports games are on display.

“We are about celebrating and uplifting women in all facets,” owner Jillian Hiscock explained to the Minnesota Star Tribune. “We’re just looking to provide an inclusive space to watch women’s sports.”

The bar is set to be a family-friendly venue that’s inclusive to all genders and ages and is not exclusive to women, but just so happens to highlight women’s sports, unlike most sports bars which predominantly showcase men’s sports. It will have all the usual things found at your regular sports bar including chicken wings as well as vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free options for people with different diets.

Hiscock noted: “We want to flip the script on what food options can look like at a sports bar.”

Inspired by the Sports Bra, the first bar in the US dedicated to women’s sports in Portland, Oregon, Hiscock thought it would be a great idea to bring women’s sports bar to the Twin Cities area. After announcing that the bar had found its location, Hiscock told the outlet: “It was crazy and cool — and something I didn’t think I would be doing.”

Hiscock, a former athlete and a season ticket holder for the Minnesota Lynxes, explained to the outlet that she’d been toying with the idea since October 2022. She explained that she wanted to create a space where women’s sports are seen as important, and believes that by making women’s sports the focus of the bar it can have a positive effect on the way we view female athletes and sports as a whole. “I can’t help but think about the power and impact of being able to see professional athletes that look like you,” she said. “I just want to be a place that switches the channel.”

However, she admitted that she had initially been on the fence about going through with the idea since she didn’t have much restaurant experience. “I don’t know as much about restaurants, but maybe that wasn’t a bad thing. This isn’t a restaurant you could copy and paste,” she said, adding that her experience in higher education and nonprofit sectors ultimately ended up coming in handy. “We operate on very little resources which, it turns out, is 90 per cent of what you need to know to open a bar.”

It was only after talking to Jenny Nguyen, the owner of the Sports Bra, that Hiscock finally decided to follow through on her idea. She recalled: “I said: ‘Talk me out of it. Tell me why I shouldn’t do this.’ And she said: ‘Absolutely you should do it.’”

Thanks to a successful crowdfunding campaign that raised over $150,000, what once was just an idea has become a real business. According to social media, it looks like the bar will certainly be expecting some foot traffic. “We *will not* be taking reservations and anticipate there will be long lines, so please plan accordingly as our incredible team works hard to ensure as many people can be a part of the celebration as possible,” a post from the bar’s Instagram said. “Thank you in advance for your patience and grace — we can’t wait to see y’all!”

Hiscock told the Tribune that she was aiming to open the bar just in time for the Big Ten women’s basketball tournament, which will be held in Minneapolis this year. It looks like they’ve made it just in the knick of time, with the tournament starting on 6 March.