San Francisco’s sports scene is about to get a major upgrade with the arrival of Rikki’s Women’s Sports Bar. Slated to open its doors in early June 2025 during Pride Month in San Francisco, Rikki’s will be the city’s first-ever sports bar dedicated to celebrating the achievements and excellence of women’s athletics. It will be located at 2223 Market Street, where the San Francisco Bay Times and “Betty’s List” regularly used to hold events at what was then 2223 Restaurant & Bar, followed by Jake’s.
The Rikki’s team organized watch parties at locations such as Standard Deviant
Brewing in San Francisco while their space at 2223 Market Street was being
readied for the anticipated grand opening in early June 2025.
Photos Courtesy of Rikki’s
More than just a place to watch a game, Rikki’s aspires to foster a vibrant and inclusive community for women’s sports enthusiasts. Inspired by the success of similar establishments across the nation, such as Seattle’s Rough and Tumble and Portland’s The Sports Bra, Rikki’s aims to build a welcoming atmosphere where fans can connect, cheer on their favorite athletes, and enjoy delicious food and drinks.
“With the additions of Bay Football Club (Bay FC) to the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) in 2024, and the Valkyries to the WNBA (Women’s National Basketball Association) in 2025, this is a critical time of growth in women’s professional sports in the Bay Area and we’re excited for Rikki’s to be part of it,” said Sara Yergovich, Co-Founder of Rikki’s.
Danielle Thoe and Sara Yergovich
Photos Courtesy of Rikki’s
This intention to highlight inclusivity and build the space with community is in keeping with the work and life of Rikki Streicher, for whom the bar is named. She was the owner of the lesbian bars Maud’s and Amelia’s, a founder of the Federation of Gay Games, and a community leader in San Francisco’s women’s sports and queer communities. Her bars provided a gathering place for people to come together in a welcoming space, plan events to support and improve their community, and to let down their guard and have a really great time.
Rikki’s and the Community
While Rikki’s will undoubtedly become San Francisco’s destination for catching WNBA, NWSL, college athletics, and a wide range of women’s sports, the experience will extend far beyond the television screens. Regular programming will include watch parties, engaging game nights, trivia focused on women’s sports history and figures, and events specifically designed to celebrate and empower female athletes and sports leaders.
Danielle Thoe, also a Co-Founder of Rikki’s, shared, “We are opening Rikki’s because we can’t find a consistent place to watch the women’s sports we love. We are building this space with and for the local community of women’s sports fans. Sara and I met while playing soccer with the San Francisco Spikes and want to make sure other teammates have a place to watch women’s sports.”
2223 Market Street, where Rikki’s is located, is remembered by Castro neighbors as the former home of a popular lesbian-owned restaurant led by Chef Melinda Randolph.
Photos Courtesy of Rikki’s
Fully Funded
On May 3, Yergovich and Thoe announced that Rikki’s had reached its fundraising goal, with over $425,000 raised via WeFunder and the generosity of more than 235 total investors. In a joint statement they said, “We are so proud to be part of this wonderful community and to create a space for women’s sports fans in San Francisco—can’t wait to open our doors for you all soon!”
They originally planned to open Rikki’s later this month, May, but additional work has been needed to ready the site. During conversations with the co-founders, the San Francisco Bay Times publishers heard the sounds of hammering, drilling, and more in the background as workers continued to complete this anticipated project. Page Hodel, a noted longtime Bay Area DJ and talented craftswoman, built a counter for the bar’s interior that will be a focal point. Rikki’s will likely open in early June just ahead of San Francisco Pride’s major events. Thoe and Yergovich have not publicly announced the specific date yet, but their progress is evident at Rikki’s on social media where in early May they announced that they are putting together their inaugural team.
Rikki’s will be the first of other significant additions to the Castro in the coming months. The newly renovated Castro Theatre will be another. As for Rikki’s, no specific date for reopening has been set yet, with the earliest possible time for the theatre said to be this coming fall.
Follow Rikki’s here, at Instagram (@rikkisbarsf) and on the web at
https://www.rikkisbarsf.com/.
‘Courage Is Contagious’ Sports Inclusivity
Published on May 22, 2025
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