Portland’s famous sports bar that only plays women’s sports on its televisions – The Sports Bra – is seeking to crowdfund $1.2 million to expand locally and nationally.

But there’s a bit of a twist to the fundraising effort: Members of the public can buy a stake in the Sports Bra for just $250.

“We are aligning ourselves with investors, big and small, who believe women’s sports is one of the most undervalued opportunities in the market,” Jenny Nguyen, owner and founder of The Sports Bra, said in the announcement about the capital raise, “And The Sports Bra is built to meet this moment.”

Nguyen opened the bar in Northeast Portland in 2022 with a surprisingly simple mission: establish a place where women’s sports fans could gather to watch games.

In order to have enough content for the bar’s TVs, Nguyen had to reach out directly to professional leagues and content creators so the restaurant could exclusively show women’s sports.

The platform The Sports Bra is using to raise money, Republic, is a decade-old website that allows people to invest in private businesses.

Republic hosts local businesses looking to expand, but also has options for investors to put money into startups, cryptocurrency, video games and real estate.

According to the financial technology company, it has sent out $800 million in investments to more than 600 companies over the life of the platform.

Private fundraising campaigns are used by companies that, for several reasons, don’t want to commit to the demands of listing on a public index and garnering public shareholders.

The leaders of a public company often have to give up some control due to the demands of shareholders. Private companies offering a stake often will send returns back to stakeholders without relinquishing decision-making control.

Soliciting private funding can be considered a higher-risk investment because the companies that go that route are often start-ups with no proven track record.

For The Sports Bra, a private capital raise allows it to offer a stake at a much lower cost than other models.

It’s an at-times wonky way to offer ownership stakes similar to a cooperative. The owners can maintain independence — like a private business funded by a single source — but raise money similar to how a public company does.

The Sports Bra also has a business model that, so far, has been successful.

In its first year, the restaurant and bar brought in more than $1 million in revenue.

Women’s sports in general are growing in popularity, evident by the viewership and attendance records constantly broken in professional basketball and soccer leagues – but women’s games are notoriously challenging to find on TV.

The Sports Bra helped solve that problem in a city with dedicated support for women athletes.

Similar models that dedicate at least half of their TVs to women’s sports have succeeded in Seattle, Minneapolis, and Chicago. But it doesn’t always work. It failed here in Oregon when Icarus Wings and Things in Salem closed in 2024.

Leaders at The Sports Bra said the money will go towards opening a second Portland location while expanding across the country.

By Monday afternoon, the crowdfunding campaign, dubbed “Own A Piece of The Bra,” had raised more than $46,000 from nearly 60 people.

“Our expansion strategy draws from a playbook that scales our culture, our inclusive environment, and our commitment to women-owned suppliers,” staff wrote in The Sports Bra’s plan for expansion. “We aim to open 40 locations nationwide by 2030 and generate $75 million in annual revenue across the network.”

News Source : https://www.opb.org/article/2026/05/18/the-sports-bra-seeks-to-raise-12-million-in-uncommon-crowdfunding-model/