Words from the Founder:

For years, I found myself watching women's sports on multiple screens, often even bringing my laptop to bars because a dedicated space simply didn't exist yet. I always knew I'd open a spot someday where you 'didn't have to ask to change the channel.' But more to the point, I recognized an increasingly societally harmful void for trans athletes, women, and LGBTQIA2S+ communities—a void of authentic spaces for shared humanness and to get to just be. Straight up, we’re wholeheartedly a ‘Women’s Sports Bar’, but this insight fueled the unapologetic re-imagining of social space, designed to truly embody what figures like Pat Summitt ignite in us: the sheer ingenuity of keeping to the relentless pursuit of arriving at what we're fully capable of. That's why I started The Summitt—our 'modern-day speakeasy'—not just to fill a gap, or simply crossdress what's already out there by switching out what’s on the walls and changing a few letters around, but to fundamentally 'queer up' the idea of a social space and create a dedicated place to celebrate tenacity and amplify LOVE for us all as athletes, artists, and humans.

The decision to center The Summitt as a women's sports bar isn't arbitrary, nor is it merely an attempt to jump on current trends, finally bringing long-overdue attention to women's sports and athletes. (Real quick, an exceptionally integral parallel note: Massive respect, cheers, congratulations, and appreciation to all the women's sports bars that have popped up across the globe in recent years! I can’t wait to visit and keep supporting all of them!) Instead, it's a direct response to a glaring societal inequity and lack of representation. Despite exponential growth in participation, women's sports continue to face significant underrepresentation in media coverage and dedicated viewing spaces. Let's be honest: girls still have millions fewer opportunities to play high school sports than boys, and a vast majority of women feel unseen in sports media. For queer and trans athletes in particular, representation is even scarcer, often met with attempts to erase them from the scene entirely.

The Summitt addresses this head-on, providing an innovative and authentic platform for visibility and celebration that transcends mere viewing. Watching women's sports and these athletes at the very top of their game is a visceral experience—an inherently transcending force. I'm lucky that I get to see this unfold all the time in the space at The Summitt. We believe in the power of shared experience: a visceral, collective moment of witnessing each other's absolute height, their full force of beingness at its highest level and most authentic truth. This act of witnessing tenacity and triumph on screen alongside a community that genuinely reflects your identity creates a profound sense of belonging and inspiration. It just does.

Again, The Summitt is straight up and wholeheartedly a Women’s Sports Bar—a reality I feel so stoked and genuinely humbled to see come into fruition. But it's also very much a catalyst for cultural shift, actively reshaping the narrative around women's sports and paving the way for more inclusive, dynamic community spaces nationwide.

—Trey Cartier