Indianapolis, IN
Get ready, Sports Bra is coming to Indianapolis
INDIANAPOLIS — Imagine… A sports bar for women, showcasing women’s sports. Sports Bra is coming to Indianapolis.
“I think it’s a great idea. The concept is great,” Monique McIntyre, from Chicago, said.
“They just never put them on anywhere. I mean, that’s the problem. It’s just always been in the background. Now it’s, it’s must-see TV, right up front,” women’s sports fan Barb Brondyke said.
“I just remember wanting to be in the NBA, you know, from a really young age. And then when the WNBA started and when the Dream Team with Lisa Leslie and Cheryl Swoopes, and Cynthia Cooper were on TV, I was just like, that’s it. This is our time now,” Jenny Nguyen, Founder and CEO of Sports Bra, said.
Nguyen has always understood the reach of women’s sports. But it wasn’t until much later that she decided to create a space dedicated to women’s leagues.
“When it came to the idea of having a space, a sports bar that was dedicated to women’s sports, I didn’t know that it was a novel thing until I went to go online and wonder how other ones have done. And I realized that it hadn’t been done yet,” Nguyen said.
Her vision opened its doors in 2022. She said one tweet saying “at the sports bra” allowed her to expand her business beyond Portland and into a franchise, now opening locations in Las Vegas, Boston, St. Louis, and right here in Indianapolis.
“Indianapolis, I mean, there’s no doubt that there has been the Fever,” said Nguyen. “There’s always been this huge basketball fandom. You know, it’s, it feels like as old as the dirt in Indiana, right? And it’s homegrown, it’s in the water and the Caitlin Clark effect, Aliyah Boston effect. It watered the already fertile ground, and now we’re starting to see it blossom for women’s sports in a way that is undeniable,” she added.
Fans of women’s sports are excited for a space dedicated to women’s sports. A group of childhood friends traveled all the way from Iowa for Tuesday’s Fever home game.
“Any bar that you go into, and today, when we went in, they were showing baseball, and they were showing a replay of a men’s game. So to be able to go in and see nothing but women’s golf and women’s softball — the College World Series is going on right now — to be able to see those things and not have to ask. That’s awesome,” Brondyke said.
A movement, Nguyen said, brings her joy to be a part of.
“Girl, Amber, I was not going to cry today. You’re not going to make me cry,” said Nguyen. “It is such a blessing to be part of this movement. You’ve heard the term, it’s not a moment, it’s a movement, and it really, truly is a movement. And I do think that we’re at the beginning.”
Nguyen said her goal is to have the Indianapolis “Sports Bra” along with the other locations up and running by the end of 2026.
ICYMI: Top 5 IndyStar business stories in May 2026
A busy month at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway reignited debates about hotels and the downtown heliport. Plus, Eli Lilly celebrated 150 years.
May came and went, and with it, we saw the closest Indianapolis 500 finish in history, the 150th anniversary of Eli Lilly and a contested primary election day.
There’s also been some movement in retail news ahead of the summer shopping season. On the north side, a new women’s clothing store opened while a piercing studio set up shop in Speedway. Meanwhile, an indoor children’s play place opened on the near north side.
Read on for four spots that recently opened and one in Broad Ripple that said farewell.
Openings
Monkee’s
8659 River Crossing Blvd., monkeesofindianapolis.com, opened in March
Monkee’s of Indianapolis, a high-end women’s clothing store, opened recently on the north side in the Shops at River Crossing near the Fashion Mall. The brand Monkee’s started in the South three decades ago and has since grown to nearly 70 locations. In Indianapolis, Missy Llewellyn and Whitney Schmitt started the franchise to bring the clothing brand to the Circle City.
The Nest Play Cafe
515 E 22nd St Suite 101, indynestplaycafe.com, opened early May
The Nest Play Cafe opened at the corner of Central Avenue and 22nd Street, offering an indoor space for parents and caregivers to bring their children to play. Caregivers can book 90-minute play sessions for $15 per child over the age of one. Tickets for additional siblings run $10. The cafe sells coffee and snacks, too.
Open Monday, Wednesday and Thursday 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; Friday 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday 8 a.m. to noon. Closed Tuesdays.
Forget Me Not Piercing Studio
5324 W. 16th St., jessflowerspiercings.square.site, opened May 27
A new piercing studio opened in Speedway at the end of May just days after the Indianapolis 500. Forget Me Not Piercing offers traditional lobe, helix and conch piercings along with nostril and septum piercings. Artist Jess Flowers opened the one-woman shop on 16th Street.
Open Sunday and Thursday 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. and Wednesday, Friday and Saturday 1 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Black Orchid Barbers Fountain Square
1201 Prospect St. Suite 100, blackorchidbarbers.com, opened in May
Black Orchid, a local barbershop known for its sharp haircuts with a side of humor, opened its Fountain Square spot, marking the company’s seventh brick-and-mortar location. Walk-ins are welcome but Black Orchid recommends grabbing a time slot online for your preferred service.
Open Monday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Closures
Vitality IV Bar
6302 Guilford Ave., vitalityivbar.com
An IV-wellness spot in Broad Ripple shut its doors last month. Vitality IV Bar was located next to the Thieves cocktail lounge, formerly the Broad Ripple Starbucks location, before it went out of business.
Vitality IV still operates an Indianapolis-area location on Mass Ave downtown at 749 Massachusetts Ave where customers can book a variety of infusions with vitamins.
See a store opening or closing near you? Contact IndyStar reporter Alysa Guffey at alysa.guffey@indystar.com.
Forty-one names comprised the 11th layer of Springer’s “The Forgiving Sea VI,” an interactive painting that invites people to wr
Elizabeth Gabriel, Mirror Indy
(MIRROR INDY) — The Garfield Park Conservatory will host multiple family-friendly events throughout June. The events include plant shows, kid’s story time and Dollar Menu Night, which allows residents to harvest and eat veggies from a community garden.
Events at the Garfield Park Conservatory, 2505 Conservatory Drive, range in price and some require advance registration.
The Indianapolis Bonsai Club will have displays and answer questions about a variety of bonsai. Vendors will have items for purchase.
🗓️ 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. June 6, 1-5 p.m. June 7
🎟️ $7 per person, $15 per family (maximum of two adults per family)
Preschoolers ages 2-5 can participate in nature-themed storytime and crafts.
🗓️ 10-11 a.m. June 9
🎟️ $6 per child
Residents of all ages can harvest and eat veggies from Blakes’ Garden. Advance registration is preferred.
🗓️ 6-7 p.m. June 10
🎟️ $1 per person
Focused on ages 2-8, participants will listen to a nature-themed story and explore Blakes’ Garden. Attendees will relocate to a classroom if there’s inclement weather.
🗓️ 10 a.m. June 12
🎟️ Free
Up to 15 neighbors ages 10 and up will learn to ferment kimchi. Registration is required.
🗓️ 1-2 p.m. June 13
🎟️ $15 per person
Kids ages 2-5 can plant and harvest crops in the Children’s Garden. Registration is required.
🗓️ 11 a.m. to noon June 24
🎟️ $6 per child
The Indiana Insectivores will display tropical and native Indiana predator plants. Plants will also be available for purchase. Those who attend the plant show will also have free entry to the Predatory Plants Presentation 1-2 p.m. June 27.
🗓️ 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. June 27, 1-5 p.m. June 28
🎟️ $7 per person, $15 per family (maximum of two adults per family)
Mirror Indy, a nonprofit newsroom, is funded through grants and donations from individuals, foundations and organizations.
Mirror Indy reporter Elizabeth Gabriel covers the south side of Marion County. Contact her at elizabeth.gabriel@mirrorindy.org. Follow her on X at @_elizabethgabs.
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