NC’s first LGBTQ women’s sports bar is expected to open this year. What to know
Watching women’s sports at a bar often means asking the bartender to change one of the TVs — if the game is on at all.
A new Asheville business wants to change that.
Q-Hall, which bills itself as North Carolina’s first bar dedicated to women’s sports, is expected to open later this summer. The venue will also serve as Asheville’s only self-identified lesbian bar, creating a space centered on women’s sports, queer community and allies.
The move comes just months after EO’s Athletic Club, a bar dedicated to women’s sports in Durham, opened earlier this year, The News & Observer reported.
How the idea came about
The idea for Q-Hall started with a trip across the country.
Founder JJ Pope visited The Sports Bra — a Portland, Oregon, bar widely recognized as the nation’s first sports bar dedicated to women’s sports — during the Women’s World Cup a few years ago, Blue Ridge Public Radio reported.
“I was like, ‘Asheville needs this,’” Pope said.
According to Pope, Asheville has plenty of LGBTQ-friendly businesses but fewer spaces specifically built around lesbian culture. The city’s last lesbian bar, Club Hairspray, closed in the early 2000s.
The timing also comes as interest in women’s sports continues to surge. Blue Ridge Public Radio reported that global revenue for elite women’s sports is projected to reach at least $3 billion in 2026.
What customers can expect
At Q-Hall, every television will be dedicated to women’s sports.
“If women are playing sports, we are watching,” the bar says on its website.
That means fans can expect everything from the WNBA and National Women’s Soccer League to women’s college basketball, softball, volleyball, hockey and tennis.
Pope also plans to decorate the space with jerseys, trophies and memorabilia celebrating women’s athletics, including items from local teams and young athletes, BRPR reported. One of the first pieces already hanging on the wall is the first basketball jersey worn by Pope’s 8-year-old daughter.
The bar plans to host karaoke, trivia and other community events, along with board games, darts, puzzles and arts and crafts. It won’t have a full kitchen, but it will serve drinks, nonalcoholic beverages and snacks from local vendors. Customers will also be encouraged to bring in takeout from nearby restaurants.
Q-Hall is expected to open by September.
Q-Hall
Location: 81 Coxe Ave, Asheville, NC 28801
Instagram: @q_hall_avl
