The FIFA Women’s World Cup is about a year away, but a new sports bar in San Diego is already making plans.
“We're going to have the sound on. We're going to have all those watch parties. I mean, at that point, is it even a watch party? It's like you're just going to come, and you're going to be here for the day watching all the matches,” said Kalani Millsaps, cofounder of One Of Us in North Park.
One of Us is San Diego’s first women’s sports bar and one of several popping up across the United States as the women’s sports industry experiences explosive growth.
“The women's sports industry is on fire these days,” said Scott Minto, the director of San Diego State University’s Sports MBA program. “Looking at it from the revenue perspective, it's projected to grow by 250% by 2030. In the last few years, we've seen new league media rights deals that have put the previous media rights deals to shame. We're looking at $200 million a year for the WNBA. We're looking at $60 million per year for the NWSL.”
Even as women’s sports have become more popular, it’s often not easy to find an event on TV at sports bars. That’s how the idea for One of Us was born. Millsaps said her and fellow One of Us cofounders Kerry Pierce and Patricia Sebold would often get turned down at bars when they would ask for a women’s sporting event be put on the TVs with sound.
“What I started doing was propping my phone up on my drink, and then I would end up getting a crowd around me watching whatever event I had on my phone and like cranking my volume on my phone up,” Millsaps said. “It just got to a point where we were super frustrated and started talking like ‘hey what, you know, what if we did this?’”
They didn’t start pursuing the business until after the San Diego Wave FC home opener in 2024. The National Women’s Soccer League team broke attendance records — drawing more 32,000 fans to Snapdragon Stadium.
“Afterwards, we went to another local spot, and it was just kind of a lot of conversations around why don't we have our own space where we can go and celebrate big nights like this,” Millsaps said.
‘Designed for gathering’
According to their website, One of Us is "redefining what it means to go to the bar.” While their menu features the typical bar fare — chicken wings, Tater Tots, beer — there are elevated options as well. Coal-fired pizza and craft cocktails set the bar apart. There are also plenty of places to sit or stand, and, of course, there are TVs.
“We made sure to have enough TVs around the space that we can have, you know, a game here, a game here, a game here,” Millsaps said.
But overall the space is designed to promote community, especially a section in the corner showcasing a mural designed by FemmeFolio Design Studio and painted by Allison Hunsley. The mural is meant to be the centerpiece of the bar, Millsaps said, and the area around it is standing room only so that patrons can mingle and take photos.
“I don't know about you guys, but I like moving around at a sporting event. I don't like sitting down, and I'm definitely bouncing around from table to table, talking to all the people while I'm here, and I want other people to be able to do the same,” Millsaps said.
There’s also an arcade with a claw machine, where players can try to pick up Wave FC merch.
The spot to go
One of Us opened this month just as the NWSL returned from its midseason break and has quickly become the spot to watch Wave FC games. On opening weekend, the line to get in wrapped around the block, Millsaps said. It definitely didn’t hurt that there was a Wave match Friday, third place FIFA Men's World Cup match Saturday and the Spain-Argentina final on Sunday.
San Diego resident Carol Kuck tried to go to One of Us on opening weekend. She didn’t get in but came to the bar the following Thursday to watch women’s basketball.
Kuck said she’s glad to have a space to celebrate women’s athletic achievements.
“The vibe right now is I think just feeling like a place where we're seen as women. We belong and are honored as women. It's really great for women's sports, but for women and for all sports fans,” Kuck said.
That’s exactly the vibe One of Us is going for.
“If you're a women's sports fan in general, you're welcome here. It doesn't matter what your knowledge of sports is on any level. Just as long as you have positive energy and you're happy to be here. We want you to be here,” Millsaps said.
