The Sports Bra

What The Sports Bra does

The Sports Bra is a privately held, single-location sports bar and restaurant founded by Jenny Nguyen in April 2022 in Portland, Oregon, operating as a 40-seat venue that broadcasts exclusively women's sports across multiple TVs on a Wed-Sun schedule (2512 NE Broadway). Its core product is a community-oriented dining and viewing experience supporting women's leagues and teams (WNBA, NWSL, and local/amateur competitions) with an inclusive menu (gluten-free, vegan, vegetarian options). The company also sells branded merchandise (apparel, headwear, accessories) and gift cards through a Shopify/Square e-commerce storefront.

The business model rests on three revenue streams: (1) on-premise food and beverage sales, the dominant line, which generated approximately $1M in 2025 (down 18% YoY); (2) e-commerce merchandise and digital/physical gift cards; and (3) planned franchise fees and royalties, with the first franchise locations (Indianapolis, St. Louis, Portland Maine) announced for 2026 as part of a stated goal of 40 locations and $75M in annual network revenue by 2030. Distribution is a mix of a company-owned flagship, a planned second corporate Portland unit, and franchise locations; the marketing motion leans on organic social (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok), community events (watch parties, Pride Block Party), PR/earned media, and the 2026 'Own a Piece of The Bra' Republic equity crowdfunding campaign (~$885K raised of a $1.24M goal from ~1,100 investors).

Capitalization is founder-led with notable strategic backers: Alexis Ohanian's 776 Foundation (2024) and former WNBA player/Atlanta Dream part-owner Renee Montgomery (Jan 2026, strategic creative adviser). The technology stack is commodity (Shopify storefront, Square payments), with no AI/ML capabilities disclosed; the concept's defensibility is category-first brand positioning rather than proprietary technology. Auditors have flagged insolvency risk absent fresh capital, making the franchise expansion and crowdfunding raise the central execution risk for the business.

Name

The Sports Bra

Legal name

The Sports Bra

Website

https://thesportsbrapdx.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2022

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Sports Bra operates the world's first women's-sports-only sports bar in Portland, Oregon, serving food, drinks, and merchandise to women's-sports fans while building out a franchise model targeting 40 locations by 2030.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sports Bar & Restaurant

NAICS

Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars (722515), Sporting Goods Retailers (45911)

SIC

Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810), Retail-Apparel & Accessory Stores (5600)

akta.pro primary industry

Sports Bars (CRANACAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Neighborhood & Sports Bars (THAFAEAA), Sports Collectibles, Fan Gear & Licensed Merchandise Retail (CRAMABAO)

Keywords

• Women's sports bar
• Sports bar restaurant
• Franchise restaurant concept
• Sports viewing venue
• Women's sports venue

Headquarters

HQ city

Portland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Food and Beverage Sales: The primary revenue stream comes from restaurant operations at physical locations. The Portland flagship serves food and drinks, operating Wednesday through Sunday with a menu featuring gluten-free, vegan, and vegetarian options.
2. Merchandise and Apparel: The company sells branded merchandise including apparel, headwear, and accessories through its e-commerce storefront and in-person at restaurant locations.
3. Gift Cards: Restaurant gift cards are sold through Square and the company website, providing prepaid revenue for future food and beverage purchases.
4. Franchise Fees (Planned): As part of the expansion strategy, the company plans to generate revenue through franchise fees from new locations opening in Boston, Las Vegas, St. Louis, Indianapolis, and Maine.
5. Crowdfunding (Equity): The company raised over $885,000 of its $1.24 million crowdfunding goal through nearly 1,100 investors on the Republic platform, offering equity stakes in the company.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Sports Bra operates the world's first sports bar and restaurant dedicated exclusively to showing women's sports, with a flagship location in Portland, Oregon. The company serves food and beverages (including gluten-free, vegan, and vegetarian options) in a family-friendly environment featuring multiple TVs broadcasting women's leagues such as WNBA, NWSL, and local women's sports. Beyond its restaurant operations, the company sells branded merchandise through an e-commerce storefront, offers physical and digital gift cards, and is expanding via a franchise model targeting 40 locations nationwide by 2030.

Product overview

The Sports Bra is a restaurant and bar concept dedicated exclusively to women's sports, operating from a single flagship location in Portland, Oregon with a franchise expansion plan targeting 40 locations by 2030. The core product is the sports bar experience featuring women's sports viewing, food, and drinks. The company extends its brand through merchandise sales (apparel, accessories), gift cards (physical and digital), and community events like the Pride Block Party. Franchise opportunities are being offered for geographic expansion to new markets.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• The Sports Bra Restaurant & Bar A sports bar and restaurant dedicated exclusively to showing women's sports, featuring multiple TVs, a family-friendly atmosphere, and a menu with gluten-free, vegan, and vegetarian options. Serves fans of WNBA, NWSL, and local women's sports leagues in Portland, Oregon.
• Branded Merchandise Online shop selling branded merchandise including apparel, headwear, accessories, and collaborative merchandise. Available through the company's e-commerce storefront and in-person at restaurant locations.
• Restaurant Gift Cards Physical gift cards for The Sports Bra restaurant, sold online via the Square payment platform and redeemable for food and beverage purchases at the location.
• Digital Gift Cards Digital gift cards available for purchase directly through the company's website for online gifting, redeemable at The Sports Bra restaurant.
• Pride Block Party Annual ticketed community event hosted by The Sports Bra celebrating Pride, offering attendees food, drinks, and entertainment in a community-focused setting.
• The Sports Bra Franchise Opportunity Franchise opportunities for entrepreneurs to open and operate The Sports Bar locations in new markets, leveraging the brand's first-mover position in women's sports bar concepts.

Quantifiable outcome

• Nearly $1 million revenue in first 8 months of operation
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Republic PlatformcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 20 May 2026Republic is the equity crowdfunding platform hosting The Sports Bra's 'Own a Piece of The Bra' campaign. The platform enables everyday investors to purchase stakes in the company, facilitating capital raising for expansion. The campaign has a $1.24 million goal with minimum investments starting at $250.
• Emily Lesher and Ann Freeman (Maine Franchisees)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 12 March 2026Emily Lesher and Ann Freeman, both longtime Maine residents, are co-owners of The Sports Bra Maine franchise location. The franchise will operate under the name The Sports Bra Maine to distinguish it from the original Oregon location. Specific location and launch date are yet to be announced.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Beef 'O' Brady's: Family-friendly sports pub franchise with a long-standing franchising system and a similar family/casual-dining positioning as The Sports Bra.
• Hooters: Iconic themed sports bar chain with multi-unit franchising and a strongly differentiated, mission-led brand identity built around a specific fan archetype — comparable to The Sports Bra's differentiated, community-positioned concept.
• World of Beer: Beer-centric sports-viewing bar franchise with strong sports-programming identity — analogous to The Sports Bra's bar-plus-content positioning.
• Punch Bowl Social: Multi-unit experiential bar concept combining dining with community events — comparable in combining a strong thematic identity with event-driven traffic.
• Twin Peaks: National sports-bar franchise model heavily oriented around sports viewing with wall-to-wall TVs and a sports-attached dining experience — the closest established franchise comparable to The Sports Bra's planned multi-unit rollout.
• Bar Louie: Casual sports-bar franchise with multi-location rollout across the U.S., offering a comparable mix of food, beverage, and sports-programming-driven traffic.
• Pluckers Wing Bar: Multi-unit sports bar franchise focused on game-day viewing with a differentiated theme — a directly comparable franchise growth playbook for a sports-content-driven bar concept.

Broad incumbents

• Dave & Buster's: Large-format entertainment and sports-viewing chain; represents a scaled incumbent that could add women's-sports viewing nights and erode The Sports Bra's niche.
• BJ's Restaurant Brewhouse: Large national casual-dining and brewhouse chain with strong sports viewing and family appeal — an example of an incumbent that could replicate women's-sports programming at scale.
• Buffalo Wild Wings: Largest U.S. sports-bar chain with broad sports content across leagues. Serves as the dominant incumbent that any women's-sports bar must differentiate against, and is a credible threat if it adds women's-league programming.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/thesportsbrapdx
• Instagraminstagram.com/thesportsbrapdx
• TikToktiktok.com/@thesportsbra

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds3 records

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Sports Bra