28-05-2025
A New Women's Sports Bar Called Pitch the Baby Is Coming to Seattle
Seattle has no shortage of sports bars, so the announcement of a new one coming this summer might not seem particularly thrilling… at first. But Pitch the Baby is special for a few reasons. Firstly it's a women's sports bar, one of the few in the country. Secondly, it's helmed by Seattle restaurant icons Monica Dimas (Little Neon Taco, Westman's Bagel) and Anais Custer (La Dive, Rich Rich) along with their longtime friend, business leader Kimfer Flanery-Rye (founder of consulting firm Inclusion Equals).
'We kept finding ourselves in spaces that weren't designed with us in mind,' Custer said in a statement. 'Pitch the Baby is our answer to the question: what if we created the sports bar we've always wanted but could never find?'
The new bar aims to 'redefine' the women's sports bar experience. Taking over Rocket Taco's former space (it moved across the street), it's now the latest addition to the 19th Avenue corridor, a.k.a. Capitol Hill's longtime off-the-beaten-path hotspot for laid-back nights out.
The name, for those wondering — and most people are going to wonder — is a 'cheeky' nod to a 1990s Cocteau Twins song.
'It captures the playful spirit we're bringing to the space and to sports in general,' Dimas says. 'We recognize that sports fans come from all walks of life and aren't a monolith, just like us. By choosing a name that's a bit off-kilter, we're honoring the different perspectives and backgrounds that make up the sports community.'
The Pitch the Baby team is still waiting on their liquor license, though right now, they're planning for a June launch. That doesn't mean they haven't been busy, of course. Custer says she's curating a bar menu 'that pays homage to timeless cocktails, including a Pim's Cup, a gin and tonic, and a variety of classic martinis.' The bar will also serve local craft beer, a wine list focused on natural varietals, and Peroni on tap (an inspiration from European sports bars). Customers can also expect various drink specials, which may change based on the game schedule.
'I'm very passionate about doing interactive drink specials,' Custer says. 'For example, if the Seattle Storm is playing the Indiana Fever, we would assign a cocktail to each team.'
This will be alongside Mexican-inspired cuisine with global twists from Dimas, including a small bites happy hour menu.
'My background is rooted in Michoacan, a region where food is closely tied to cultural identity, community, and tradition,' she says. 'I see Mexican food through a lens shaped by the intersection of migration and cultural change, and lately, I've been really interested in the Moorish influence on Mexican cuisine and seeing the dishes of my childhood through this historical perspective.'
As for the look and ambience, Dimas compared it to a cozy English pub.
'We're being intentional about TV placement instead of going for a wall-to-wall screen setup,' she says. '[We're] planning on four to five TVs, which is enough to catch the game from any seat, but not so many that it overwhelms the room.'
Those TVs will capture a wide range of women's competitions, but all three owners agree that they'll show men's sports on occasion. 'While our emphasis is on women's sports, we also recognize significant men's sporting events, such as the World Cup, and will feature them as well,' Dimas says. 'Our goal is to create an inclusive environment that celebrates athletic excellence across the board, providing a welcoming space for all sports fans to come together. We'll have a shared calendar of big events that anyone can access and subscribe to.'
There is another women's sports-centric bar in the city, Ballard's Rough and Tumble. But the team isn't worried about the pond being too small.
'The more of us there are (woman's sports bars), the more popular this segment of the bar market will be overall,' Custer says. 'Once people experience Pitch the Baby, they are going to want to go to any female sports bar all the time!'
According to an NBC news analysis, there were just six women's sports bars at the start of 2025. Thanks to additions like Pitch the Baby, that number is projected to quadruple by the end of the year.
'We're proud to be part of that wave. There's real momentum here, and it's only going to grow,' says Flanery-Rye. 'The more visibility we give to women's sports, the more demand we'll see, not just for coverage but for spaces that celebrate it. We're not just riding a trend; we're helping lead a shift that's long overdue.'
Pitch the Baby will be at 600 19th Avenue East on Capitol Hill. It plans to open this summer. For updates, follow the bar on Instagram .
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