This story has been updated with more details and Title 9 Sports Grill's official opening date.
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With feats of strength, grace and grit from athletes such as gymnast Simone Biles, tennis star Coco Gauff and WNBA stars Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese, women’s sports captured more attention and fans last year than ever before.
Now, two veterans of Phoenix’s dining scene have teamed up to open a sports bar centered around women’s athletics.
Title 9 Sports Grill will open in the Melrose District on Saturday, helmed by Boycott Bar owner Audrey Corley and Short Leash Hotdogs & Taproom co-founder Kat Moore.
“This isn’t just another sports bar; it’s a movement,” Moore said in a press release announcing the concept in December. “Phoenix has never seen a space like this, and we’re here to celebrate women’s sports with front-and-center coverage, a welcoming atmosphere and a menu that honors the athletes we admire.”
Women’s sports bars have been cropping up in recent years to meet the growing interest. There’s Whiskey Girl Tavern in Chicago, A Bar of Their Own in Minneapolis and The Sports Bra in Portland, Oregon.
But, Title 9 will be the first of its kind in Phoenix. The bar’s name is inspired by the legislation that gave women athletes an equal opportunity in sports from elementary school to college.
“We saw a real gap in the sports bar world,” Corley said in a press release announcing the bar. “Women’s sports often take a backseat, and we wanted to create a space where they are celebrated.”
Title 9 will welcome guests starting at 10 a.m. on Saturday. Opening day events include the Hijinks Arm Wrestling Tournament hosted by the Arizona Roller Derby. On Sunday, guests can fill out their NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament bracket and watch the semifinals of Unrivaled Basketball, the 3-on-3 women’s basketball league.
“It's a weekend packed with fierce competition and a whole lot of women showing you how it's done,” Moore said in a release announcing the opening date.
Title 9 replaces Short Leash, which is located on Seventh Avenue near Indian School Road. Moore and her husband Brad Moore sold the business and shuttered the hot dog spot and taproom on Dec. 21.
The decor in Title 9 Sports Grill honors women athletes, including a photo of recently retired Phoenix Mercury icon Diana Taurasi.
Title 9 Sports Grill
Melrose vets team up on Title 9
Title 9 will be a celebration of something particularly near and dear to both Kat Moore and Corley. Moore grew up an avid soccer player. Corley played for and later coached the Phoenix College women’s basketball team."It’s about time we have a space that celebrates the incredible women’s sports community,” Corley said in a press release sharing the opening date. “This is about representation, respect and finally creating a place where women’s sports take center stage every day of the year.”
The pair has run neighboring operations in the Melrose District, just a few hundred feet from each other on Seventh Avenue, for years. Boycott, which started as a roaming dance party 20 years ago, has had a brick-and-mortar location in the Melrose District since 2017 and was featured in the docuseries “The Lesbian Bar Project” in 2022. Since then, Corley has opened Dahlia Tapas, Tequila and Wine in the Coronado neighborhood. The Moores ran Short Leash for 15 years, spending the last six on Seventh Avenue.
Moore will lead the kitchen at Title 9, crafting a menu of elevated bar bites, such as wings, sliders and salads. Dishes will be named for iconic female athletes. Gluten-free, vegetarian and vegan options will also be available, according to the release. Corley is building a bar selection of drinks, including beers, ciders and spirits crafted by women makers.
In addition to playing women’s sports on the bar’s TVs and naming dishes after some athletes, the space honors these women by displaying their trophies at the entrance and showcasing their history-making, groundbreaking efforts through photos with QR codes that detail their contributions.
“We want people to walk in and feel inspired, connected and ready to celebrate,” Corley said. “This is a place where we honor the power, passion and perseverance of women in sports.”
Title 9 Sports Grill
Opens March 154221 N. Seventh Ave.
