Raise a glass to the ladies! Kitty Sullivan’s, a female-owned and operated sports bar, just opened in Astoria in the space formerly occupied by the popular neighborhood gem, Rocky McBride’s.
The bar, located at 27-01 23rd in Astoria, had their grand opening last week with a full house celebrating the incredible milestone of being just the second female-owned sports bar in NYC. The space is owned by Tricia Rowan, who was a manager for over three years at Rocky McBride’s before taking the helm.
“They made me an offer to buy the guys out, and I was like, you know what? Go big or go home,” said Rowan. “It’s an opportunity of a lifetime and a dream I’ve always had, and doing it by myself is even more badass.”
The bar’s name, Kitty Sullivan’s, is named in honor of her great-great-grandmother, with the logo showing a female boxer, paying homage to both her family’s history and a symbol of the sports bar’s fierce energy.
“Kitty Sullivan was my great-grandmother, and John L. Sullivan, who’s a famous boxer, is her great, great-grandfather, so I’m a fifth-generation grandchild of his,” said Rowan. “I was a single mom, I raised four kids in this neighborhood, so for me to have the neighborhood bar is such an incredible moment.”
The newly owned bar offers a community space, a haven for all sports, including the NFL, MLB, NHL, WWE, UFC, and is a beacon of female empowerment, as Rowan has even made it a priority to showcase all women’s sports, staying true to the theme of an all-women-owned and operated bar. Most recently, she is in the process of signing a partnership with Big Apple Softball, an LGBTQ+ all-inclusive league whose games will also be played at the bar.
“We want to show women supporting women,” said Rowan. “There’s also a women-owned and operated brewery in Williamsburg, and I’m going to put one of their beers on its own tower, so I’m really trying to give that women-empowerment. I tell my girls all the time, ‘If you put your mind to it, look at what you can do.’ I still haven’t fully taken everything in-the grand opening was just so overwhelming, we couldn’t even get in the door.”
The bar offers a diverse selection, featuring everything from beer and wine to mezcal, specialty cocktails and more. They also offer a menu featuring small bites, including pretzels, Jamaican beef patties, pizza, and handmade empanadas, made by her daughter’s business. They also feature happy hour specials from Monday through Friday, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., to accommodate all kinds of shifts, from early to overnight.
“We don’t want to leave anyone out,” said Rowan. “There’s people who work overnight and there’s people who get out of work from 3 to 6 p.m., so we wanted to let everybody have a chance.”
The neighborhood space is also slated to host weeknight events, including Tuesday Trivia every other week starting Nov. 11, karaoke nights and a darts team. They also feature a complimentary hot buffet on Sunday during football, available to all with support for the bar.
“We’re old school and everybody that was involved in this [space], whether you’re managing it, owning it, now owning it, you had family in the business,” said Rowan. “There aren’t many old school neighborhood bars, so we’re trying to keep that neighborhood feel.”
The space is slated to host a list of holiday events, including a Toys for Tots fundraiser on November 22 and an Ugly Christmas Sweater Party. For those looking for a warm and friendly place to spend Thanksgiving, the bar will be open and offering dinner; customers only need to support the bar to enjoy the food.
“I always put out food on Thanksgiving and Christmas,” said Rowan. “I have a big family and I live in an apartment, so I just make double of everything and whoever is here is welcome. We’re very close-knit here, I always say, you come in as a stranger and you leave as a friend.”
For more information, follow @Kittysullivans.
