Women’s sports-focused bar could come to Cincinnati

CINCINNATI — It’s no secret women’s sports have become more popular which means more people are wanting to watch women’s sporting events at home and out at local bars and restaurants. One local sports lover is hoping to make it easier by bringing a women’s sports-focused bar to the Queen City, the first in Ohio.

What You Need To Know

• Jackie Reau is a sports enthusiast and hopes to bring the first women’s sports-focused bar to Ohio
• The Sports Bra, in Portland, is the first sports bar focused on women’s sports in the country
• Now, The Sports Bra is franchising and Reau is pursuing the opportunity
• Reau believes the concept will be embraced by Cincinnati sports fans 

Imagine walking into a sports bar and seeing women’s sports on every TV. Well, that’s something Jackie Reau is hoping to bring to Cincinnati soon.

“People are really embracing women’s sports like they haven’t in the past,” Reau said.

Which is why when Reau, the CEO of Game Day Communications, found out about an opportunity to bring a sports bar centered around women’s sports to Cincinnati, she immediately took a chance.

“[I] raised my hand for Cincinnati, you know, without any research or anything,” she said. “I just thought this would be really cool for Cincinnati.”

The bar- called The Sports Bra, which originated in Portland, is dedicated to showing only women’s sports. When Reau was there recently for a work trip, she made sure to see it in person.

The Sports Bra is the first women’s sports-focused sports bar in the country (Spectrum News 1/Katie Kapusta)

“I think the Sports Bra concept is really a place for people to gather,” Reau said. “When I was there in Portland, you know, a dad and daughter walked in and they were watching Notre Dame lacrosse, women’s lacrosse on TV, which I thought was so cool.”

While Reau was in Portland, she found out the Sports Bra is franchising and she put Cincinnati’s name out there. She envisions it somewhere like Hyde Park- a neighborhood that has a town square- that is easy to park and get to. She has a feeling Cincinnati sports fans would embrace it.

Reau looks through her pictures of The Sports Bra from her visit in Portland (Spectrum News 1/Katie Kapusta)

“I think it’s a really cool opportunity to bring a concept like the Sports Bra to Cincinnati, which we all know we’re a huge sports town, so let’s embrace it and do a new concept,” she said.

So what’s next in bringing the concept to Cincinnati? It’s still very much in the beginning phases.

“The owner emailed me back and said, just getting affairs in order and just know you’re on the list and we’ll communicate,” Reau said. “So it was it was great.”

But Reau is confident it would be a hit in the Queen City and help grow the already booming sports environment.

“I’ve always been a fan of women’s sports,” she said. “I think it would be, just taking women’s sports and the support of women’s sports to the next level of what Cincinnati can do. And I love living here. I know we’re such a huge sports fan, so I know it would be successful.”