Babe's Sports Bar

What Babe's Sports Bar does

Babe's Sports Bar is a privately held, women-owned and lesbian-owned sports bar that opened in September 2024 in Chicago's Logan Square neighborhood (3017 W. Armitage Ave.), dedicated exclusively to broadcasting women's sports. Founded by former college rugby co-captains Nora McConnell-Johnson and Torra, the venue screens WNBA (Chicago Sky), NWSL (Chicago Stars), PWHL, WER Tempest rugby, Windy City Winds soccer, Windy City Rollers, and AUSL Bandits softball games, and operates Tuesday through Sunday. Revenue is generated across four streams: (i) on-premise food and beverage sales (drinks and snacks; food is supplied via rotating local pop-up vendors rather than a full kitchen, including Taylor's Tacos, Mom's Chicago, Kite String Taquitos, and Brie's Cuisine); (ii) online and in-venue merchandise sales of branded apparel and accessories ($15-$60 unit-priced, shipped via a Squarespace storefront); (iii) private event bookings and watch-party rentals; and (iv) ticketed experiential programming such as PWHL party-bus trips ($25-$35). The go-to-market is direct-to-consumer, anchored by Instagram (@babesinchicago), a weekly email newsletter, community partnerships with Chicago women's sports teams, and earned-media coverage from Eater Chicago, WGN, and Block Club Chicago.

The business has no proprietary technology stack beyond a Squarespace e-commerce site and standard hospitality point-of-sale, and it operates with a headcount of 1-10. The conceptual core of the bar is a fixed-identity, community-anchored physical venue rather than a scalable digital platform, with operational scale illustrated by 17,335 drinks served, 178 women's sports games broadcast, and 1,082 photo-booth visits in the first ten weeks of operation. Capital has been sourced through community crowdfunding (November 2024) rather than institutional venture or private equity, and ownership remains concentrated with the two co-founders. Capital structure is bootstrapped/ community-funded, and recent strategic emphasis has been on partner-driven programming, patio renovation (the 'Court Yard'), and DTC merchandise expansion.

Name

Babe's Sports Bar

Legal name

Babe's Sports Bar

Website

https://babeschicago.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2024

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Babe's Sports Bar is a women-owned and lesbian-owned sports bar in Chicago's Logan Square that opened in September 2024 and broadcasts exclusively women's professional sports (WNBA, NWSL, PWHL, rugby, soccer, softball). It generates revenue from on-premise drinks and food pop-ups, DTC merchandise, private events, and ticketed fan experiences for sports fans and the LGBTQ+ community.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sports Bar & Restaurant

NAICS

Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) (72241)

SIC

Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)

akta.pro primary industry

Sports Bars (CRANACAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Neighborhood & Sports Bars (THAFAEAA), Neighborhood Bars & Taverns (CRANACAA)

Keywords

• Sports bar dining
• Women's sports venue
• Branded merchandise shop
• Private event hosting
• Watch party programming

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

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: Primary revenue from selling alcoholic beverages (beer, cocktails, spirits) and snacks behind the bar. Bar operates Tuesday-Sunday with varying hours.
2. Merchandise Sales: Online store selling branded merchandise including hats, t-shirts, hoodies, sweaters, bandanas, and baby onesies shipped directly to customers. Also keeps inventory at the bar.
3. Event Space Rental and Private Events: Hosts watch parties, special events, fundraisers, and community gatherings. Offers space for team watch parties and private event bookings.
4. Programming and Watch Party Events: Schedules and hosts women's sports games, tournaments (March Madness brackets), and special sporting events. Free hot dogs during Sky away games to drive attendance.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Babe's Sports Bar operates a dedicated women's sports bar in Chicago's Logan Square, serving alcoholic beverages and snacks while broadcasting women's sports programming including WNBA, NWSL, PWHL, rugby, softball, and roller derby events. The venue functions as a community hub through watch parties, athlete appearances, food vendor pop-ups, run club meetups, and DIY workshops, and also sells branded merchandise online via a Squarespace storefront.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Sports Bar Food & Beverage Service On-premise bar and snack service for adults 21+ at the Logan Square location, with hours Tue-Thu 4-11PM, Fri 4PM-12AM, Sat-Sun 12PM-12AM. All TVs are dedicated to women's sports broadcasts.
• Babe's Branded Merchandise Direct-to-consumer online and in-bar merchandise store selling hats, t-shirts, muscle tees, hoodies, crew neck sweaters, bandanas, and baby onesies with Babe's branding. Online orders ship directly to customers; additional rotating inventory is kept at the bar.

Quantifiable outcome

• 17,335 drinks served in first 10 weeks
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Chicago SkycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWNBA team. Babe's shows all Sky games and serves as a meetup spot for fans, especially away games. Free hot dogs during Sky away games with drink purchase.
• Chicago StarscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNWSL women's soccer team. Babe's shows Stars games and hosts player appearances (e.g., Alyssa Naeher and Sam Staab visited as guest bartenders).
• WER Tempest (Women's Elite Rugby)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerChicago women's rugby team. Babe's is the official watch party location for Tempest games on select dates (June 7th and 21st). Tempest players attend watch parties.
• Windy City WindsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal women's soccer team. Babe's shows Winds games and streams with Winds WAGS group.
• Windy City RollersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWomen's roller derby team. Babe's streams their games and supports their events.
• WatchWomensSportsIRL.comcoreTechnology or IntegrationWebsite created by Lucy (a friend of Babe's) used to schedule TV programs and events. Allows customers to add events to personal calendars or subscribe to the Babe's calendar.
• AUSL BanditsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessional softball team. Babe's hosts watch parties for home team Bandits games. Special swag from Athletes Unlimited available at events.
• Taylor's TacosminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFood vendor appearing at Babe's on Wednesdays for food pop-ups.
• Mom's ChicagominorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFood vendor appearing at Babe's on Wednesdays for patio pop-ups. Burgers and grilling on the patio.
• Kite String TaquitosminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFood vendor appearing at Babe's on Wednesdays for vegan taquitos and queso pop-ups.
• Tool School CocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDIY/home improvement workshops on the patio every Tuesday. Tie dye workshops, car maintenance, tiling. Juliana leads workshops. Helped build patio pergolas. Created office hours for project advice.
• Out There Run ClubminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRun and walk club meeting at Babe's every Wednesday at 6:30PM for 1.5 or 3 mile runs. Community partnership for engagement.
• PAWS ChicagominorGTM or Marketing PartnerAnimal shelter. Babe's helps friends of bar fundraise for Chicago Marathon, with guest bartenders donating tips to PAWS.
• Brie's CuisineminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFood vendor providing cinnamon rolls at Babe's events and watch parties.
• Made by AleminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCeramics vendor with pop-up at Babe's events selling mugs, bowls, and ceramic accessories.
• Misguided SpiritsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSpirits brand. Green river shooters served at St. Patrick's Gay party. Sponsors treats for blood drives.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Big Chicks: Woman-owned LGBTQ+ bar and restaurant in Chicago's Uptown neighborhood. Comparable as a women-owned Chicago LGBTQ+ venue with a similar mission-aligned, community-event-driven operating model.
• Crew Bar & Grill: Chicago LGBTQ+ sports bar with a strong sports-viewing identity. Comparable to Babe's at the intersection of LGBTQ+ community focus and sports programming, making it one of the closest direct substitutes in the Chicago market.
• Sidetrack: Long-established LGBTQ+ bar in Chicago's Boystown neighborhood. Comparable to Babe's along the LGBTQ+ community-venue and event-hosting axes, and a useful benchmark for the local LGBTQ+ bar competitive set in Chicago.
• Roscoe's Tavern: Chicago LGBTQ+ bar and dance venue in Boystown. Comparable as another Chicago LGBTQ+ venue competing for the same community-event nights and pride-season traffic as Babe's.

Direct peers

• The Sports Bra: Portland, OR bar opened in 2022 as the first dedicated women's sports bar in the U.S. Most direct comparable to Babe's — same 'only women's sports on TVs' positioning, similar community-first programming, and similar merchandise line. Functions as the proof-of-concept and category template Babe's is replicating in Chicago.
• A Bar of Their Own: Minneapolis women's sports bar with a similar singular focus on women's sports broadcasting and community-driven watch-party programming. Directly comparable in concept, scale, and target audience to Babe's Sports Bar.

Broad incumbents

• Stout: Established NYC sports-bar operator with multi-location presence and broad sports programming. Comparable as a sports-bar operating peer — F&B-driven revenue, event hosting, and watch-party culture — but without Babe's women-only niche.
• The Ainsworth: Multi-city sports bar and restaurant chain with broad sports programming, private-event capability, and a polished bar-grill operating model. Comparable to Babe's on the sports-bar operating mechanics (large screens, event bookings, F&B mix), though it does not specialize in women's sports or LGBTQ+ identity.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/babesinchicago
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/babes-sports-bar-chi

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

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 Babe's Sports Bar