The founding partners of Watch Party PHL, a group of women’s sports fans, have secured a prime Center City location to open a new community hub.
Philly natives Jen Leary and Lori Albright said they are now undertaking a “75-day sprint” to achieve their grand vision of a cafe, bar and co-working space centered around women’s sports. The Stoop Pigeon will take over the 2,500-square-foot space of 337-341 S. Broad St. that used to house Sumo Sushi and Starbucks.
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“Lori and I are die-hard, born and raised, bleed green Eagles fans,” Leary said. “So being on Broad Street is one of our dreams. [Imagine] when you walk out of the Stoop Pigeon, to the right is City Hall and to the left is the Super Bowl parade. … We truly could not have found a better space.”
The concept of the space came out of the creation of Watch Party PHL, which began in April 2024. Leary and Albright would organize women’s sports watch parties at different places around the city. They said these events helped them figure out how they wanted their business to run — making it family-friendly and not labeling it as strictly a sports bar.
“Everyone watches women’s sports,” Leary said. “So this place is going to be open to everyone who wants to come and watch.”
With the permanent location secured, the co-owners are now in the process of transforming the building into a versatile gathering space for sports fans of all ages, with the goal of opening its doors by June 12.
“In one moment, we feel a sense of relief, and then at the same time, signs of pressure,” Albright said.
The Stoop Pigeon will be open seven days a week from 7 a.m. until midnight. During the day, it will operate as a cafe, lounge and co-working space that will include private podcast booths and spaces that can be booked for meetings. Brunch will also be served on weekends. At night, the cafe will transform into a bar, restaurant and community gathering space that airs women’s and local sports games.
Provided Image/Stoop Pigeon
The concept for the Stoop Pigeon came from the creation of Watch Party PHL, a group of women’s sports fans who would gather around the city to watch games
The co-owners said the Stoop Pigeon will partner with local suppliers, including Rival Bros Coffee and Sterling Pig Brewery, and their menu items will be named after sports legends, such as the “Dawn Staley Latte,” “Vivian shoe-Stringer” fries and the “Philly Phanatic” Scramble.
“We’re not making homemade pastries or anything,” Albright said. “But we’re really focusing on partnerships that will highlight local businesses and partners that we’ve worked with in the past.”
The interior will be designed for watch parties of all ages and feature floor-to-ceiling windows, multiple TVs and a laser system to enhance the viewing experience. Leary and Albright said they are in the process of finding an artist from Mural Arts Philadelphia to design a dedication to the legends of Philly’s women’s sports scene.
“The dream is to do a paint day, where we can bring the public in and have the actual mural laid on the table and our community being able to paint each square of it,” Albright said.
While the co-owners said they are more motivated than ever to reach the finish line, they also said they feel the pressure to represent a growing fanbase accurately.
“Even though women’s sports is on the rise right now, there’s still only a handful of women’s sports hubs around the country,” Leary said. “So there’s a lot of responsibility to do this right.”