Atlanta Launches First Women’s Sports Bar: Jolene Jolene

ATLANTA, Ga. — In an exciting development for sports fans in Atlanta, Jolene Jolene, the city’s first women’s sports bar, officially opened its doors on Friday to enthusiastic crowds and a line that extended out the door.

A New Space for Women’s Sports

Owner Chelsea Fishman emphasized the significance of this venue: “There’s not a place like this. There’s not a place for women’s sports, for women’s sports fans to gather, and celebrate, and trash talk, and strategize, and dream, and that doesn’t exist here.”

Pioneering Community Engagement

Jolene Jolene, named after the beloved Dolly Parton song and Fishman’s cat, opened as part of a residency at Pullman Yards. “It is so much more than a sports bar,” noted Leslie Dupree, a visitor from Marietta. She highlighted the importance of such a safe, dedicated space, particularly for women from areas where such venues are absent.

The Journey to Opening

Fishman’s decision to launch Jolene Jolene followed the success of numerous pop-up watch parties for women’s sports. “Everything new is a gamble, but I’m not scared of it,” she stated confidently while enjoying the bar’s patio ambiance on opening day. The residency at Pullman Yards is open-ended, potentially serving as a springboard for a future standalone location.

Celebrating Women’s Sports

Continuing to promote women’s sports, the bar will prominently feature local teams such as the Atlanta Dream and Atlanta Vibe. Fishman expressed, “Now that we can turn on a TV to actually watch them play, it’s time that we have a place that does that.” The bar will also broadcast national and international women’s sports events, with the opening night featuring Germany vs. Poland in the UEFA Women’s Euro Cup.

A Poetic Opening

The timing of its inaugural launch coinciding with Independence Day held symbolic weight for Fishman, who remarked, “There is something poetic about it for sure – in that women stepping into this freedom, this freedom that we’ve been fighting for always, and in this case it happens to be in sports.”

Visiting Jolene Jolene

Jolene Jolene welcomes visitors from Wednesday through Sunday at Pullman Yards in Kirkwood. As a trailblazer in the sports bar scene, it hopes to cultivate a vibrant community for women sports enthusiasts.