NELLIES SPORTS BAR

What NELLIES SPORTS BAR does

Nellie's Sports Bar is a privately held, single-location sports bar and entertainment venue founded in 2007 by Doug Schantz, operating at 900 U Street NW in the historic U Street Corridor of Washington, DC inside the former Addison Scurlock Photography Studio. The company operates on a direct-to-consumer hospitality model, generating revenue from on-site food and beverage sales (cocktails, beer, wings, chicken tenders), themed entertainment programming including Drag Brunch, Drag Bingo, Karaoke, and Trivia Night, private event bookings, branded merchandise retail (hats, shirts, accessories priced at $12), and physical gift cards sold in denominations from $10 to $200. The venue positions itself as an LGBTQ+-inclusive sports bar that hosts 25+ recurring community sports teams (DC Front Runners, DC Rollergirls, DC Pride Volleyball, Stonewall Sports Leagues, among others) as a core go-to-market and customer-acquisition mechanism.

The business extends its single-location footprint through three third-party delivery partnerships (Uber Eats, GrubHub, DoorDash) and a WooCommerce-powered online retail storefront at nelliessportsbar.com for merchandise and mail-delivered gift cards. The underlying technology stack is minimal and non-proprietary: a WordPress/WooCommerce site, Google Business Profile, and organic social channels (Facebook, Instagram), with no AI/ML systems, no API platform, no mobile app, and no proprietary point-of-sale or analytics stack disclosed. Marketing relies on organic social media, an email newsletter, the on-site events calendar, and community partnerships rather than paid acquisition. The company has six disclosed employees, no external funding, no parent entity, and operates solely within the Washington DC metropolitan area.

Customer segmentation spans four primary personas — the LGBTQ+ community and allies, sports enthusiasts, entertainment seekers, and budget-conscious diners — with pricing structured as pay-as-you-go per cover, supplemented by daily and weekly drink specials ($3 Nellie Beer, $7 Malibu Cocktails, $15 buckets, $6 Saturday happy hour items) and Sunday BOGO deals. The company's primary defensibility rests on its 17-year brand legacy, the historic Scurlock building as a cultural anchor, and the deeply embedded community sports league ecosystem that generates predictable recurring demand.

Name

NELLIES SPORTS BAR

Legal name

Nellie's Sports Bar

Website

https://nelliessportsbar.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Nellie's Sports Bar is a privately held, single-location LGBTQ+-inclusive sports bar in Washington DC's U Street Corridor, founded in 2007, serving food, drinks, drag entertainment, and hosting 25+ community sports teams.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sports Bar and Nightlife Hospitality

NAICS

Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) (7224), Other Spectator Sports (711219)

SIC

Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Neighborhood & Sports Bars (THAFAEAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Sports Bars (CRANACAC), Karaoke Bars & Entertainment Bars (THAFAEAH)

Keywords

• Sports bar
• LGBTQ nightlife
• Drag entertainment
• Sports viewing venue
• Community bar

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Food and Beverage Sales: On-site sales of food, drinks, cocktails, and beer. Features daily drink specials like $3 Nellie Beer, $7 Malibu Cocktails, Absolut Jello Shots, and $15 beer buckets. Food items include wings and chicken tenders at $6 during happy hour.
2. Merchandise Retail: On-site and online retail sales of branded merchandise including hats ($12), shirts, and accessories. Physical storefront on first floor of venue plus e-commerce shop.
3. Gift Cards: Physical gift cards sold in $10, $15, $25, $50, $100, and $200 denominations, delivered by mail.
4. Private Events: Private event bookings for parties at the venue, marketed through 'Have Your Party at Nellie's' section.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Nellie's Sports Bar is a single-location LGBTQ+ community sports bar in Washington, DC that sells food, beer, wine, and cocktails alongside sports viewing and organized entertainment (Drag Brunch, Drag Bingo, Karaoke, Trivia). It also offers private event hosting, branded merchandise (hats, shirts), gift cards, and delivery services. The venue operates as a neighborhood gathering spot with a culturally significant Washington, DC location.

Product overview

Nellie's Sports Bar is a single-location sports bar in Washington DC offering a unified hospitality experience. The core offering includes food and beverage service, with retail merchandise (branded trucker hats and baseball caps sold at $12 each) and gift cards (ranging from $10-$200) as additional revenue streams. The bar operates regular entertainment events including Drag Brunch, Karaoke, Drag Bingo, and Trivia Night. Supporting services include private event booking, a community recognition program (Nellie's Heroes Lunches), and third-party food delivery integration via Uber Eats, GrubHub, and DoorDash. The merchandise products are sold through an on-site storefront and online shop.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Food and Beverage Service Full bar service offering beer, wine, cocktails, and a food menu served in-venue to patrons at the U Street NW location.
• Drag Brunch Ticketed themed brunch event featuring drag performance, food, and beverages, offered to adult patrons and groups.
• Drag Bingo Drag-hosted bingo game event combining entertainment and gaming, offered to adult patrons.
• Karaoke Nights Hosted karaoke entertainment event for patrons to perform, offered as part of the venue's weekly entertainment calendar.
• Trivia Nights Hosted trivia game event where patrons compete in teams, offered as part of the venue's weekly entertainment calendar.
• Private Events Private and semi-private event hosting for birthdays, corporate outings, fundraisers, and group celebrations, with customizable food, beverage, and entertainment options.
• Branded Merchandise Branded merchandise including trucker hats, baseball caps, shirts, and accessories sold online and in-venue.
• Gift Cards Physical and digital gift cards redeemable for food, beverages, and merchandise at Nellie's Sports Bar.
• Delivery Service Food and beverage delivery service available through third-party platforms, extending the in-venue menu to off-premises customers.

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Uber EatscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFood delivery partnership allowing customers to order Nellie's food through Uber Eats platform for delivery within DC.
• GrubHubcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFood delivery partnership enabling GrubHub users to order Nellie's menu items for delivery.
• DoorDashcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDelivery partnership through DoorDash platform for Nellie's food delivery orders.
• DC Front RunnersminorOthersLGBTQ+ running club that regularly meets and gathers at Nellie's Sports Bar as a community hub.
• DC RollergirlsminorOthersRoller derby team that uses Nellie's as their community gathering spot for post-practice/events.
• Stonewall Sports LeaguesminorOthersOrganized sports leagues (dodgeball, darts, bocce) under Stonewall branding that host events at Nellie's.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• JR's Bar & Grill: Long-established LGBTQ+ bar and grill in DC's Dupont Circle / 17th Street corridor serving a similar community-focused, sports-and-drinks customer base. Directly competes with Nellie's for DC's LGBTQ+ nightlife and sports-viewing spend.
• Halo Bar: LGBTQ+ bar in DC's Logan Circle area offering drag events and casual nightlife. Overlaps with Nellie's on LGBTQ+ community programming and customer base.
• Drafthouse: Sports bar in DC focused on draft beer selection and sports viewing. Comparable to Nellie's on the sports bar / drink-specials value proposition.
• Pitchers: DC sports bar and restaurant focused on sports viewing with food and drink specials. Competes directly with Nellie's for sports-viewing customer traffic in the DC market.
• Freddie's Beach Bar: Self-described 'gay beach bar' restaurant in Arlington/DC area offering food, drinks, drag events, and LGBTQ+ community programming. Closest direct competitor to Nellie's drag-brunch-and-sports positioning in the DC metro.
• Dirty Goose: DC sports bar with a strong drag and LGBTQ+ community following. Direct competitor on the niche combination of sports viewing and drag entertainment that defines Nellie's.
• Number Nine: LGBTQ+ bar and restaurant in DC's Logan Circle neighborhood with full food menu, cocktails, and themed events. Competes with Nellie's for the same LGBTQ+ dining-and-nightlife audience in adjacent DC neighborhoods.
• Town Danceboutique: DC's largest LGBTQ+ nightclub hosting drag shows, dance nights, and community events. Competes for Nellie's LGBTQ+ entertainment-seeking customers, particularly those attending drag shows and themed nights.
• The Ugly Mug: Sports bar in DC's H Street corridor offering food, drinks, and sports viewing. Directly overlaps with Nellie's on the sports bar / drinks-and-wings positioning.

Emerging players

• Trade: LGBTQ+ cocktail bar and event venue in DC's Logan Circle area offering drag brunch and themed programming. Compares to Nellie's on event-driven LGBTQ+ hospitality but with a more cocktail-lounge positioning.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/NelliesDC
• Facebookfacebook.com/NelliesDC
• Instagraminstagram.com/nelliessportsbar
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/nellies-sports-bar

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 NELLIES SPORTS BAR