I was going to ask, "Who thought this was a good idea?" and then I realized that we all know the answer.
Australia's first-ever women's sports bar was forced out of business just five months after it opened. Owners cited the challenging "economic climate" for the closure.
Yes, a "women's" sports bar owned by women, catering to women, and specifically showing women's sports.
Somehow, this idea just wasn't profitable.
The Ladies League, which opened in August 2024, regretfully announced that it would not re-open its doors.
As a women's sports bar, we excelled. Anyone who attended a Matildas, Sydney FC, Grand Final etc game day at our venue, know what a show we can put on.
Unfortunately it is outside of live games that we felt the struggle as much as many other hospitality venues in this economic climate.
While we knew going in, cost of living pressures have impacted how patrons spend, this is something we wanted to do for women's sport visibility.
The bar's founder, Rose Valente, said she knew the idea was "too risky" but sold an investment property and put all her savings into it anyway.
Again, who could have seen this coming?
While the owners and patrons of The Ladies League may be disappointed by the closure, someone should cheer them up by letting them know the bar was just as profitable as the WNBA.
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