Jenny Nguyen is breaking barriers and rewriting the sports bar playbook. By expanding The Sports Bra, her pioneering women-focused sports bar, she’s proving there’s a huge audience for women’s sports and redefining how fans experience the game.
The Rise of The Sports Bra
In most sports bars, men’s games dominate the screens. However, Jenny Nguyen wanted something different. She launched The Sports Bra in Portland in April 2022, the first sports bar devoted fully to women’s sports. What began as a personal frustration soon grew into a movement. As a result, new women-focused sports bars have opened in Los Angeles, Minneapolis, Long Beach, and Seattle.
A Hub for Fans
The Sports Bra is more than just a bar, it’s a gathering place for fans, athletes, and community members who want to see women represented. It became a space that also reflects Nguyen’s own identity as a queer Vietnamese American, intentionally designed to feel inclusive and welcoming for LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC communities.
A Growing Demand
Nguyen couldn’t initially secure a loan and turned to a GoFundMe to launch her vision. Today, the bar is franchising across the U.S., with upcoming locations in St. Louis, Las Vegas, Indianapolis, and Boston. The approach is people-first: finding mission-driven owners who embody the values of The Sports Bra, rather than expanding only by geography. Interest has even come from around the world, with inquiries from Canada, Australia, France, and Vietnam.
Breaking New Ground
The Sports Bra’s success mirrors the broader momentum in women’s sports. Deloitte projects women’s sports to generate $2.35 billion globally by 2025, a 25% jump from last year. By creating a business model that centers women athletes, Nguyen is helping shift both the sports and hospitality industries while also joining conversations with other women’s sports bar founders and organizers nationwide.
Inspiring a Movement
Jenny Nguyen’s journey shows how personal vision, resilience, and community support can build something transformative. From her early days as a chef to leading a national franchise, she continues to remind others that women’s sports deserve equal celebration and that the tide is rising for everyone.
Want more stories of women reshaping sports and business? Here’s the link to Winning Her Way for inspiring features, resources, and updates.
