Latest news with #sportsbar
CTV News
5 days ago
- Business
- CTV News
Oilers fans find a home in Calgary bars as Edmonton takes another shot at the Cup
Ernie Tsu in his bar Trolley 5, the home of the Edmonton Oilers' fan base in Calgary, Alta., Wednesday, June 4, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Todd Korol CALGARY — About an hour before every Edmonton Oilers game for the next few weeks, Ernie Tsu plans to stroll down the street in Calgary for a cup of sake. Wearing his Oilers jersey, he'll then walk from the restaurant back to join a raucous crowd of Edmonton fans at his bar in the heart of Calgary's Red Mile, the name given to the stretch of 17th Avenue during the Flames' 2004 Stanley Cup run. 'I'm pretty superstitious,' Tsu, owner of Trolley 5 Restaurant and Brewery, said in the lead-up to the Stanley Cup final between the Oilers and the Florida Panthers. Edmonton won Game 1 on Wednesday. 'Since I've been having sake there, they haven't lost (a series).' Trolley 5, a not-so-secret hub for Oilers fans in rival Calgary, has flourished in the team's consecutive runs for the Cup. Two large flags — one for the Oilers, another for Alberta — hang from the rafters of the three-storey bar. Aside from a few framed flaming C jerseys plastered to the wall, it's evident oil country has found a home while the local franchise remains excluded from the playoffs for the third straight year. As the Flames continue to rebuild, the Oilers have provided another springtime boom for Calgary sports bars. The Oilers surged past the Los Angeles Kings, Vegas Golden Knights and Dallas Stars in the first three rounds. Tsu said Calgary's community of Oilers fans has grown organically since he opened the bar nine years ago. He now likens it to a family. Earlier in the week, he took 30 diehard followers out for dim sum as a thank you. This year, he said, more Oilers fans have seemed engaged in light of surging patriotism. 'I'd say there's more people, and I think with the U.S. tariffs, you've got more people supporting a Canadian team,' he said. Not all Calgary bar owners are as thrilled by another successful Oilers run. 'I'm a Matthew Tkachuk-Florida fan for the rest of the season,' said Mike Shupenia, referring to the Panthers' captain and former Flames player. 'I will never be an Oilers fan.' But he'll take the business. The owner and manager of Side Street Pub and Eatery in Calgary's Kensington neighbourhood suspects his restaurant would be just as busy if the Flames were gunning for the Cup. During last year's finals, people were lining up for tables as early as 3 p.m. The Calgary-raised Shupenia is begrudgingly offering service to Oilers faithful this year. A handful of red goal lights around the bar go off every time Edmonton scores. And the bar gives a boxing championship belt decorated in Oilers blue and orange to the winner of a raffle, with five-dollar entries given to a children's food charity. For now, Shupenia is bracing for perhaps the busiest few weeks of the year. But he'll keep his fingers crossed behind the bar for the Panthers to claim their second straight Cup. If not, he said, 'I don't think we'll ever be able to live it down.' This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 5, 2025. Matthew Scace, The Canadian Press
The Independent
6 days ago
- Business
- The Independent
The Sports Bra, the first US bar focused on women's sports, expanding to four more cities
The Sports Bra, the first sports bar in the US dedicated to women's sports, is set to expand with new locations in Boston, Indianapolis, Las Vegas, and St. Louis. The original Sports Bra, located in Portland, Oregon, was founded in April 2022 by entrepreneur Jenny Nguyen. She sought to establish a venue that celebrates women and girls in sports. Since its launch, other women-centered sports bars have emerged across the country. They include The 99ers Sports Bar in Denver, Rough & Tumble in Seattle, and Title 9 Sports Grill in Phoenix. 'The first four franchises of The Sports Bra will join our OG Portland location to become the 'Starting Five,'' Nguyen said. 'Together, we're serving fans nationwide who are hungry for spaces that not only champion women's sports, but create a community where everyone feels like they belong. There is no better moment than this to open these places.' In 2024, Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian 's 776 Foundation invested in The Sports Bra with the intention of expanding through franchising. Potential investors were invited to apply for franchises in October. All of the new locations will be locally owned and operated and will highlight local and women-owned beverage and food products. According to The Sports Bra's website, the menu includes items such as a $17 'Bra-L-T' sandwich and a $14 green goddess salad. The bar's $14 signature cocktails include Title IX (bourbon, peach liqueur and mint), Cherry Picker (gin, cherry juice, lemon juice, simple syrup and egg white), and Pickle Ball (dry gin, dry vermouth and pickle juice). Sportico reported that the four new franchises were being asked to pay a $55,000 fee, and up to $834,000 in start-up costs including training expenses, leases and insurance. Each franchise would be asked to hand over 8 per cent of their gross revenue each year, once they were up and running. Sportico reported that the Portland Sports Bra grossed an average of $1.086 million revenue the past two years. About 80 per cent of that came from food and alcohol, with the balance from events, merchandise and non-alcoholic drinks.
The Independent
6 days ago
- Business
- The Independent
Women's sports bar The Sports Bra set to expand to four new cities
The Sports Bra, the nation's first sports bar dedicated to women's sports, is expanding to four new locations in Boston, Indianapolis, Las Vegas and St. Louis. The original Sports Bra, which opened in Portland, Oregon, in April 2022, was the brainchild of entrepreneur Jenny Nguyen, who wanted to create a space that celebrated women and girls in sports. Other women's-centered sports bars have sprung up across the country since then, including The 99ers Sports Bar in Denver, Rough & Tumble in Seattle and Title 9 Sports Grill in Phoenix. 'The first four franchises of The Sports Bra will join our OG Portland location to become the 'Starting Five.' Together, we're serving fans nationwide who are hungry for spaces that not only champion women's sports, but create a community where everyone feels like they belong. There is no better moment than this to open these places," said Nguyen, the Sports Bra's CEO. Last year Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian 's 776 Foundation invested in The Sports Bra with the intention of expanding through franchising. Potential investors were invited to apply for franchises in October. All of the new locations will be locally owned and operated and will highlight local and women-owned beverage and food products. ___
Associated Press
6 days ago
- Business
- Associated Press
Women's sports bar The Sports Bra set to expand to four new cities
The Sports Bra, the nation's first sports bar dedicated to women's sports, is expanding to four new locations in Boston, Indianapolis, Las Vegas and St. Louis. The original Sports Bra, which opened in Portland, Oregon, in April 2022, was the brainchild of entrepreneur Jenny Nguyen, who wanted to create a space that celebrated women and girls in sports. Other women's-centered sports bars have sprung up across the country since then, including The 99ers Sports Bar in Denver, Rough & Tumble in Seattle and Title 9 Sports Grill in Phoenix. 'The first four franchises of The Sports Bra will join our OG Portland location to become the 'Starting Five.' Together, we're serving fans nationwide who are hungry for spaces that not only champion women's sports, but create a community where everyone feels like they belong. There is no better moment than this to open these places,' said Nguyen, the Sports Bra's CEO. Last year Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian's 776 Foundation invested in The Sports Bra with the intention of expanding through franchising. Potential investors were invited to apply for franchises in October. All of the new locations will be locally owned and operated and will highlight local and women-owned beverage and food products. ___ AP sports:
CBC
6 days ago
- Business
- CBC
'It's not a favour': Shaun Semple gets 90-year lease at REAL for sports bar, music venue
Social Sharing One of Saskatchewan's most well-known businessmen now has a 90-year lease at Regina's exhibition grounds and a plan to build a "premium sports bar." The deal between Shaun Semple, owner and CEO of the Brandt group of companies, and Regina Exhibition Association Limited (REAL) was approved by city council in an 8-3 vote Tuesday. 102207241 Saskatchewan Ltd., a numbered company owned by Semple, will take over the lease of YQR Distillery Ltd., which has failed to pay REAL approximately $500,000 in rent over the past six months. Jamie Boldt, chair of the REAL board of directors, portrayed the deal as a simple choice between putting REAL onto the path of profitability or having the 42,000-square-foot building tied up in eviction litigation for an undetermined amount of time. "It's an anchor and a real opportunity that we are excited about and it is not a favour," Boldt told council. "We've done our due diligence. We've done all of the things that that needed to be done." 'We don't have to settle' Councillors, including Ward 5 Coun. Sarah Turnbull, raised concerns about the proposed length of the 90-year lease. It was repeatedly pointed out that the lease would exist long after everyone involved in the debate was dead. The lease had to be approved by council because it runs longer than the lease REAL has with the City of Regina for its entire campus. There was also concern about the lack of details provided to city administration, a lack of a publicly available business case for the proposed bar and music venue, and the rush to get this deal across the line with minimal scrutiny. "We've never put this building out for tender. We've never asked anyone else who's doing it. And we don't have to settle. We just don't," Turnbull said. Turnbull unsuccessfully moved for amendments that would limit the length of the lease, increase the rate per square feet and cap the amount of money REAL could contribute to the project. The contract was approved only after council attempted to negotiate the terms of the lease deal with Semple over the phone as the businessman's private plane landed in Ottawa. Semple rejected any change to the terms of the lease he had negotiated with REAL in good faith. "We came to a conclusion of what we could agree on and, you know, what you're proposing is a complete revamp of the agreement. I have no interest in it," Semple said. Each of the proposed amendments were defeated. Only Coun. Turnbull, Ward 7 Coun. Shobna Radons and Ward 3 Coun. David Froh voted against approving the contract. Mayor Chad Bachynski told media he believed it was important to put trust in the new REAL board, which had been directed to make REAL commercially viable after it repeatedly came to council for millions in funding to stay afloat. "Based on what I heard from the experts who are negotiating that deal on the REAL board, I think this is a a good deal moving forward for Regina," Bachynski said. Ownership It emerged during debate that YQR Distillery had done very little work to turn the space into a functional distillery since it signed a lease agreement with REAL in 2021. REAL officials described the space as functioning as a warehouse for wholesale liquor sales. It's not clear why the YQR Distillery has not upgraded the building or why the company had failed to pay the nearly $500,000 it owes in rent over the past six months. The distillery's two shareholders Z Group Holding Ltd. and Sperling Silver Distilleries, which is owned by Adam Sperling, are locked in an ongoing legal dispute. According to the corporate records, Sperling was removed as the director of 102207241 Saskatchewan Ltd., Semple's company, on Feb. 26, 2025. Semple was added as a director for the numbered company on the same date. The plan Semple's vision for the space includes a 200-seat restaurant and bar, an expansion of the Regina Pats store and a 500-capacity music venue that Semple envisions as Saskatchewan's version of the House of Blues. "It will be a destination before and after the Pats and Rider Games, concerts and every other type of event that REAL produces. It will provide a performance home for local artists to gain exposure," Semple told council. The Brandt CEO said that once it is fully operational, it will create more than 100 new jobs with the possibility of as many as 200. To make it become reality, Semple plans to spend at least $12 million to upgrade the space. The lease will also prohibit any other new sports bars or pubs from opening at REAL, and no other company will be able to offer wholesale and distribution of alcoholic beverages. In exchange, Semple will pay $21 million in rent over the initial 50-year term of the lease, with the ability to extend the deal through two 20-year options. He will not pay back the $500,000 in rent owed by YQR Distilleries. Boldt described the venue as a "catalyst project" for the REAL campus. "It also shows that we are going to be around, that REAL is going to exist, and that we need other things to happen at the district," Boldt said. The goal is to have the space at least partially open by September, Boldt said. Layoffs at REAL confirmed Boldt also confirmed that seven people were laid off as REAL tries become more financially responsible. All seven, which Boldt described as being in senior leadership or management positions, were dismissed on Monday. "The positions have been eliminated and there's a total [organizational] restructure," Boldt said.
