The Rise of Women’s Sports Bars: Watch With Us Boston Takes the Lead

In recent years, the demand for visibility in women’s sports has surged, yet many venues have been slow to respond. Friends of Dana Marie Cincis frequently encountered resistance when they requested bars to show women’s sporting events. Often, they were told the necessary channels weren’t available or that another event took precedence. Even more discouraging were outright dismissals, with some venues claiming a lack of interest in women’s sports.

Determined to change the narrative, Cincis and several friends—many of whom bonded over youth sports in Malden—established a grassroots initiative named Watch With Us Boston. Their mission centers around organizing pop-up events and watch parties specifically for women’s sports.

Engaging the Community

Kickstarting their venture, they hosted a watch party for the 2024 NCAA Women’s Basketball Final Four at The Village Bar & Grill in Everett. The event attracted an impressive crowd of 75 enthusiasts, setting a precedent for future gatherings.

Since then, Watch With Us Boston has grown to regularly draw dozens of attendees at various events across the Boston area, featuring collegiate athletics, WNBA, NWSL, and PWHL games.

A Permanent Venue

As the community flourished, the founders envisioned a more permanent establishment—a sanctuary for women’s sports fans to gather. Cincis expressed the need for, “a space that feels safe, a place that you feel welcome, a place that you can go back to time and time again.”

This aspiration materialized this spring, as they formed an ownership group to open a franchise of The Sports Bra, a restaurant and bar exclusively dedicated to showcasing women’s sports. The original location opened in Portland, Oregon, in 2022, becoming the first sports bar in the U.S. to focus exclusively on female athletic events.

Next Steps

The Boston chapter is currently in the planning phase, without a fixed opening timeline. Their progress hinges on securing funding, finding a suitable venue, obtaining the necessary liquor license, and undergoing renovations. They are collaborating with Jenny Nguyen, founder and CEO of The Sports Bra, who is lending her expertise and support.

Initially, Nguyen’s Portland location faced high demand, prompting plans for expansion to cities like Boston, Indianapolis, Las Vegas, and St. Louis.

Community and Support

The Boston team is leveraging the established brand of The Sports Bra, which is well-regarded within women’s sports circles, to aid in marketing and outreach initiatives. “Their brand is a media magnet,” noted Whitney Edwards, a co-owner from Malden. “Now, it’s about pairing the community that we began with [Watch With Us] and making it more real.”

To position the new bar effectively, the team is open to exploring locations beyond Boston proper, as they have gauged interest from fans willing to travel for accessible venues. However, acquiring liquor licenses in Boston poses a challenge, often costing upwards of $600,000. Nonetheless, recent legislation has introduced 225 new licenses, providing potential pathways for their endeavor.

Bringing Experience to the Table

Among the eight co-owners, four have backgrounds in founding or managing small businesses, yet none have prior experience in launching a restaurant. To bridge this gap, they are consulting with an industry expert boasting 15 years of experience in the Boston restaurant scene.

In June, they initiated a GoFundMe campaign with a fundraising goal of $150,000. Cincis stated, “We will continue to be the eight owners, but in terms of investment into the bar and into the restaurant, there will be some other avenues that we explore to do that.”

The Bigger Picture

The transition from a personal passion project to a sustainable business model presents challenges for the team; however, they view it as an opportunity to elevate women’s sports further. “Our vision has only slightly changed because we’re still doing the things that we’re passionate about,” remarked co-owner Lydia Coverdale-Perez. “You just think of the passion, the excitement, the community, and the ways that you can help elevate women’s sports, and that’s something that we were doing on a small scale, and we’re just so excited to take that to the next level.”

For more information, contact Emma Healy at emma.healy@globe.com or follow her on X @ByEmmaHealy.