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Long before Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian and his 776 Foundation arrived at The Sports Bra in Portland, Ore., this month, announcing plans to help franchise it, owner Jenny Nguyen envisioned a place for underrepresented communities to come together and watch underscreened sporting events.
In February 2022—before Reddit co-founders, before pop-ups with Athletes Unlimited in Chicago or Aflac and Togethxr at March Madness, before becoming a New York Times Crossword and Jeopardy! clue and before attracting brand visitors like Clif Bar, Focus Features and The Athletic—Nguyen launched a Kickstarter for a women’s sports bar and restaurant. In less than two weeks, she hit her target, and in less than one year, she watched The Sports Bra make its first $1 million.
The Sports Bra has set the table for numerous other bars focused on women’s sports—with more joining the mix amid rising women’s sports ratings. As Nguyen uses Ohanian’s investment to grow The Sports Bra nationally—and perhaps globally—she has maintained the bar’s commitment to equity by ensuring that “100% of the returns from the 776 Foundation’s investment will be earmarked for future donations to advance future generations of women athletes.”
ADWEEK met up with Nguyen at Portland’s Spirit of 77 sports bar during her March Madness pop-up—just shy of The Sports Bra’s two-year anniversary—to talk about its growth, influence and the mark it can leave on women’s sports and the brands that orbit them.
ADWEEK: What did your initial vision for The Sports Bra look like?
Nguyen: When I opened, I just had visions of me and my friends having a place to hang out and watch women’s sports. I come from a background of being a chef, so I was heavily focused on the food being amazing … great drinks. We made it a point to focus on women-owned-and-operated businesses, like breweries, distilleries, cider, wine and so on.
Coming from a background in the food and beverage industry for 15-plus years, I know that it’s a male-dominated industry, very similar to sports. We want to represent women on all fronts: Let’s put them at the forefront, give them representation, investment, support, promotion.