As the beloved Columbia City Ale House closes, Rough & Tumble is ready to take over the historic space
Rough & Tumble opened its first location in Seattle’s Ballard neighborhood in 2022. It was the first sports bar in the city to prioritize women’s sports, creating an atmosphere of gender equity in sports viewing. The company recently announced that it will open a second location in Seattle, moving into the longtime home of Columbia City Ale House on Rainier Avenue South, which is scheduled to close permanently. The transition will see the keys to the historic building handed from one woman owner to the next. They’ve yet to announce an opening date for the new Rough & Tumble, but we’ll add updates as that information becomes clear.
“When I launched Rough & Tumble less than three years ago, there wasn’t a single place dedicated to showing women’s and men’s sports equally,” said Jen Barnes, Founder and CEO of Rough & Tumble (pictured at top). “Opening a second location isn’t about ambition; it’s about meeting a clear demand. We’ve proven that women’s sports fans are a viable market and far more than a movement or a moment. Prioritizing gender equality isn’t just the right thing to do—it’s smart, sustainable business that redefines how women are valued far beyond sports.”
Founded by entrepreneur and gender-equity leader Jen Barnes, Rough & Tumble has become a beloved community hub and a global model for inclusive sports hospitality. By putting women athletes and women’s sports at its center, Rough & Tumble has earned countless “best-of” awards and received coverage from notable outlets like The New York Times, Vogue, Bon Appétit, Forbes, CBS, NBC, ESPN, and more.
The numbers show the increased popularity of women’s sports. When Rough & Tumble opened in 2022, less than six percent of global sports media coverage was dedicated to women athletes. In less than three years, that number has climbed to 16 percent and is projected to reach 21 percent before the year’s end. Women’s sports have now become a multi-billion-dollar industry.
“The success of Rough & Tumble belongs entirely to the fans who show up every day to celebrate the strength and power of incredible athletes,” says Jenn. “More than a sports bar, Rough & Tumble is a flywheel in the women’s sports ecosystem. We don’t just air the games, we amplify them, generate hype, drive visibility, and create spaces where inclusive fandom thrives.”
What does Jen mean when she says “a flywheel in the women’s sports ecosystem?” Rough & Tumble feeds on people’s interest in women’s sports and generates more interest. One example is that it helped drive the successful campaign to bring a Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) franchise to Seattle.
“Seattle has become the capitol of women’s sports, and Rough & Tumble is a vital part of that story,” said Madi McNamara, Director of Business Operations for PWHL Seattle. “Its expansion shows just how strong and passionate women’s sports fans are — not only in Seattle but across North America. That kind of energy is exactly what’s fueling the rise of professional women’s hockey and the PWHL.”
“Capitol of women’s sports?” Seattle is home to teams from all three major U.S. professional women’s leagues: the Seattle Storm (WNBA), Seattle Reign FC (NWSL), and PWHL Seattle. The city fields a professional women’s tackle football team (Seattle Majestics) and a pro women’s ultimate frisbee team (Seattle Tempest). It’s also headquarters to North America’s only pro women’s 3×3 basketball tour, 3XBA; and boasts a vibrant array of semi-pro and pre-pro women’s teams, including Salmon Bay FC—the city’s first USL W League team, which is co-owned by Rough & Tumble.
The new Rough & Tumble is next in line to steward a historic space in South Seattle, one most recently home to another beloved woman-owned Seattle institution, the Columbia City Ale House. Located in the heart of the Columbia City Historical District, Rough & Tumble says that renovations will honor the building’s and neighborhood’s histories.
“Columbia City Ale House has always been about community,” added Emily Eberhardt, the Ale House’s owner. “It feels right to hand the keys to another woman-owned and woman-run business that shares those same values. I’m proud to see Rough & Tumble carry forward the same spirit of connection and belonging.”
