Women’s sports bar The Sports Bra opened in Portland, Oregon, in 2022, launching a trend that has taken off across the country. Now, partners Alexandra “Al” Murray and Claudia “Clau” Capriles are bringing the trend to 222 Greene Avenue in Clinton Hill. Named after their cat, Athena Keke’s will highlight women’s sports.
The two first got the idea while living in New Orleans in 2019.
“We were looking for a place to watch the women’s World Cup and we were having a really hard time,” Murray told What Now New York. “The first articles about The Sports Bra opening fired us up about it working.”
The success of other bars like The Sports Bra spurred Murray and Capriles to conceptualize Athena Keke’s.
Now, the team is working on renovations in the space. They are looking to create a warm, welcoming environment that Murray describes as “a New York cocktail bar meets a sports bar.” They are also hoping to make the space daytime friendly, with plans to eventually open the space up as a cafe during the day.
While they have no set opening date yet since it will depend on the progress of construction, the team is targeting a late spring opening. They announced on their Instagram page earlier this month that they have received community board approval.
Murray and Capriles are excited to create a space in Brooklyn where women can enjoy sports together in a safe, welcoming environment.
“Now it’s a whole movement,” Murray said. “There are a bunch of bars opening across the country that are prioritizing women’s sports and it’s great.”
