Hinge and hoops: Behind Blazers, Brooklyn’s first women-owned sports bar

Allyson Felix. Simone Biles. Serena Williams. Mia Hamm. Lisa Leslie. These women, and many others, are trailblazers in the women’s sports world.

Blazers, Williamsburg’s first women-owned sports bar, is dedicated to crafting a safe, community-centered space for women’s sports fans to gather and celebrate the athletes who too often go unrecognized. Located at 308 Bedford Ave, the newly opened bar was welcomed into the Williamsburg community in December 2025.

Founders Caroline Kane, Debany Dávila, both former lawyers, and Chandler Robertson, a previous talent agent, first crossed paths in August 2023 through the dating app Hinge. Kane matched separately with both Dávila and Robertson. She initially became friends with Robertson, and later with Dávila.

A photo of Blazers regulars on display in the bar. Photo by Isabella Bernabeo

“Caroline [and I] went on a date…and talked about women’s sports the whole time,” Dávila said. “It felt like we’re going to be friends.”

Only a few days later, Dávila attended a New York Liberty game with Kane and her friends, where she met Robertson. The three former suitors ended up hitting it off, building a beautiful friendship.

A few months later, Kane confided in Robertson about her dream career.

“I was having coffee with Chandler, and I was complaining about my job, and I said, ‘I want to open a women’s sports bar,’” Kane said. “I wasn’t even fully serious about it, because that’s a crazy idea. But Chandler, to her credit, [said], ‘I’ll do that with you.’”

Inspired by the prospect, the two approached Dávila and soon convinced her to join their efforts, bringing all three together to pursue the idea seriously.

“I think that we were really just looking for that fulfillment and that bigger why, of why we were waking up every day,” Dávila said.

The exterior of Blazers on Bedford Avenue, where the bar has established a growing presence since its December 2025 opening. Photo by Isabella Bernabeo

A glimpse of the bar’s interior design, which emphasizes community-building and representation in women’s sports. Photo by Isabella Bernabeo

Their collaboration was solidified with an official meeting about opening the bar in January 2024. Over more than a year of planning, supported by Heather Dismore’s “Running a Bar for Dummies,” they signed the lease in July 2025, turning the dream into a reality.

“We had done tours of other locations that we liked, but I think this is the first spot we saw where we walked in and said, we can see Blazers here,” Robertson said.

Since opening, Blazers has been hit with a wave of warm reception from the public, with a tsunami of regulars already established.

“It’s a place where everybody can come together and celebrate women…even if you don’t even watch sports,” Paige Fitzpatrick, a Blazers regular, said. “It’s a space that really gives into the community and makes people feel safe and included.”

Even amid the constant work that’s brought with opening a new business, the founders say they have no regrets.

Blazers was founded to create an inclusive, community-centered space where women’s sports are prioritized and celebrated. Photo by Isabella Bernabeo

A ‘selfie room’ turned museum of women’s sports greatness: portraits of iconic athletes line the walls.Photo by Isabella Bernabeo

“No matter how tired I am, every time I show up here, I have at least one really meaningful connection with someone,” Dávila said. “That’s what our why has always been, creating a space for women’s sports fans.”

However, Blazers is not exclusively for women. The founders say they have welcomed a diverse crowd into their community, even men who have praised the bar’s concept and embraced the space.

“This has been a space for anyone who is invested in women’s sports, or wants to be a fan, or is one and wants to share that with other people,” Robertson said.

While the bar has only been open for a few months, the founders already have their eyes set on becoming a core establishment within the Williamsburg community.

“We’re doing all the little things so that we become an everlasting brand and thought in people’s hearts…We’re going to continue to put more and more love into [Blazers] and make her a force to be reckoned with,” Dávila said.

Borrowing a chant from New York Liberty fans, Dávila describes the trio’s bond and journey in opening Blazers in six words: “We all we got, we all we need.”