Chelsea Fishman’s dream of opening Jolene Jolene as Atlanta’s first women’s sports bar is one step closer to reality.
On July 4, the women’s sports bar pop-up will take over the Brick and Mortar space at Pullman Yards in Kirkwood for an open-ended residency.
With Brick and Mortar providing the staff, food, and drinks, Fishman can focus her energy on continuing to build up Jolene Jolene’s profile in Atlanta. The Pullman Yards space gives Fishman some breathing room to search for a permanent location to eventually open Jolene Jolene while not having to spend time securing locations for the next set of pop-ups.
“We did a pop-up party with Brick and Mortar for an Atlanta Dream game, and I was meeting with the owners about doing more pop-ups during the summer,” Fishman said. “Then they offered the space as a residency. Brick and Mortar is designed as an incubator for chefs, so Jolene Jolene will be similar, but less chef-oriented.”
While the menu at Brick and Mortar leans Asian fusion, Fishman collaborated with the staff to create some cocktails and a few new dishes befitting a sports bar, including a burger and wings.
But the main attraction, Fishman said, will be gathering to watch women’s sports five days a week on the five newly installed televisions throughout Brick and Mortar.
Atlanta alone includes two professional women’s sports teams in the WNBA’s Atlanta Dream and Atlanta Vibe volleyball, and two semi-professional women’s sports teams in Decatur FC soccer and the Atlanta Rage tackle football team.
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Fishman grew up in Gwinnett County and has played soccer all her life. After college, soccer led to a career in marketing at a women’s athletic apparel company building campaigns around female athletes and professional soccer players. Fishman’s work at the company brought opportunities to meet famous female athletes, like tennis legend Billie Jean King and soccer star Brandi Chastain. But it was an equality summit in Australia during the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup that sparked the idea for Jolene Jolene.
Having a reliable space to watch and uplift women’s sports in Atlanta is a huge win, Fishman said of the Brick and Mortar residency, and will allow her to offer a place for local amateur women’s leagues to gather for events.
“Just knowing that there is a bar you can go to to watch these games is a big deal for the women’s sports community here. It puts us in a position where we’ll be taken more seriously,” Fishman said. “I’ve been blown away by the support people have shown for Jolene Jolene, showing up to events pumped to meet other fans while watching games.”
Fishman admits, however, that it’s sometimes been tough. There have been a few “haters” and “keyboard warriors” on social media since she launched Jolene Jolene last year, and with the increasing press. But she’s undeterred.
“Adversity is nothing new for women. But I find that women aren’t scared and have always tackled obstacles and find ways around them,” said Fishman. “Jolene Jolene is meant to champion women, and that means we need to continue to support our local women’s sports leagues and teams.”
Jolene Jolene will host a grand opening party on July 4 at Brick and Mortar, starting at 3 p.m. The celebration will feature a DJ, drinks and food, Jolene Jolene merch, and the televisions tuned to Women’s Euros soccer matches, Wimbledon, and the Club World Cup.
Jolene Jolene, 225 Rogers St., Kirkwood. Open at 5 p.m. Wednesday-Friday and 11 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday.