The Sports Bra

The Sports Bra is a women's sports-focused bar in Portland, Oregon. The bar opened for business on April 1, 2022.[1]

Not to be confused with Sports bra.
The Sports Bra
The bar's exterior, 2022
Restaurant information
EstablishedApril 1, 2022 (2022-04-01)
Owner(s)Jenny Nguyen
Street address2512 Northeast Broadway
CityPortland
CountyMultnomah
StateOregon
Postal/ZIP Code97232
CountryUnited States
Coordinates45.5350°N 122.6398°W / 45.5350; -122.6398
Websitethesportsbrapdx.com

Description
The bar's exterior on opening night (April 1, 2022)

Located at 25th Avenue and Broadway in northeast Portland's Sullivan's Gulch neighborhood, The Sports Bra is an LGBTQ-owned bar focused on women's sports.[2] The menu includes burgers, buffalo wings, and Vietnamese-style baby back ribs.[3] The all-ages bar hosts official Portland Thorns FC viewing parties.[3]

Jaylon Thompson of USA Today has called the business "a unique concept" with an owner who "aims to build community, empower and promote women in sports".[4] According to Erin Rook of LGBTQ Nation, The Sports Bra "may be the world's first women's sports bar".[5] Similarly, Lizzy Acker of The Oregonian said the business at the time "might be the only women's sports bar in the world".[6]

History

Local chef and former basketball player[2] Jenny Nguyen opened the bar in April 2022.[7][8] She conceived the idea after watching the 2018 NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament in a crowded sports bar on mute.[3] Inspired by her girlfriend, the United States women's national soccer team's fight for equal pay,[3] and the success of the MeToo movement, Nguyen started the business with her life savings of about $27,000, $40,000 in loans,[9] and support from a Kickstarter campaign,[4] which raised $105,135 by its conclusion in March 2022.[2][9] She also partnered with female-owned breweries in the Portland metropolitan area,[2] including Freeland Spirits, Herbucha, and Migration.[3]

In January 2023, the bar hosted a Lunar New Year celebration and benefit for the Asian Pacific American Network of Oregon featuring a performance by White Lotus Lion Dance.[10]

In February 2023, the bar hosted an event with United States Senator Ron Wyden and WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert to demonstrate support for the WNBA's return to Portland. The league's Portland Fire folded after the 2002 WNBA season.[11]

Following the Sports Bra's first anniversary in April 2023, Nguyen said the bar had generated $944,000 in revenue in its first eight months and turned a profit in its first year.[9]

Reception

In 2023, Nguyen was one of 18 Portland industry professionals deemed "rising stars" by the restaurant resource and trade publication StarChefs.[12][13]

References
  1. Jackson-Glidden, Brooke (2022-03-29). "The People Behind Lose Yr Mind Fest and Tulip Shop Tavern Are Taking Over Dig a Pony". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2022-03-29. Retrieved 2022-03-29.
  2. Macias, TJ (March 8, 2022). "The Sports Bra: Women's sports will dominate screens at Oregon's new LGBTQ-owned bar". Lexington Herald-Leader. Archived from the original on March 20, 2022. Retrieved March 19, 2022.
  3. Schultz, Ken (March 7, 2022). "Portland gets LGBTQ-owned women's sports bar opening in April". Outsports. Archived from the original on March 8, 2022. Retrieved March 19, 2022.
  4. Thompson, Jaylon (March 8, 2022). "Daily Sports Smile: Sports bar dedicated to women's sports to open in Portland". USA Today. Archived from the original on March 8, 2022. Retrieved March 19, 2022.
  5. Rook, Erin (March 1, 2022). "This queer-owned bar is putting women's sports front and center". LGBTQ Nation. Archived from the original on March 9, 2022. Retrieved March 19, 2022.
  6. Acker, Lizzy (February 23, 2022). "When The Sports Bra opens in Portland in April, it might be the only women's sports bar in the world". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on March 18, 2022. Retrieved March 19, 2022.
  7. "This Portland chef is opening The Sports Bra — a pub that will only show women's sports". CBC News. March 14, 2022. Archived from the original on March 18, 2022. Retrieved March 19, 2022.
  8. Branigin, Anne (March 9, 2022). "A bar of their own: A new Portland spot will only show women's sports". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on March 15, 2022. Retrieved March 19, 2022.
  9. Huddleston Jr., Tom (April 27, 2023). "43-year-old used her life savings to open a bar that only plays women's sports—it brought in almost $1 million in 8 months". Make It. CNBC. Archived from the original on May 2, 2023. Retrieved May 3, 2023.
  10. Wong, Janey (January 12, 2023). "Where to Celebrate Lunar New Year in Portland". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2023-01-12. Retrieved 2023-01-13.
  11. Peterson, Annie M. (February 6, 2023). "Portland makes its pitch for expansion WNBA franchise". Associated Press. Archived from the original on May 3, 2023. Retrieved May 3, 2023.
  12. Wong, Janey (2023-07-14). "A Guide to Portland's StarChefs Rising Stars Award Winners for 2023". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2023-07-15. Retrieved 2023-07-15.
  13. "StarChefs - Profile - Chef Jenny Nguyen of The Sports Bra". StarChefs. Archived from the original on 2023-07-15. Retrieved 2023-07-15.
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