Meet our Franchisees: Heather Hill, owner of The Sports Bra St. Louis
As The Sports Bra expands across the country, we're committed to extending the supportive, celebratory vibe from coast to coast. Our franchise owners are passionate about serving great food and drinks, and making sure that women's sports are always the main event.
The Sports Bra St. Louis owner, Heather Hill, is dedicated to bringing the brand to life in her own community. Her inspiration to open The Bra in STL was sparked by her desire to pivot away from a corporate setting and start building something for herself and her family. But as she began moving through the process and started hearing stories from the community, everything shifted. Hearing how sports have been life-changing for people and seeing the pure excitement from locals who can't wait to bring their daughters, wives, and friends to a place that celebrates women quickly made it much bigger than her original dreams.
But don't take our word for it—we asked Heather to tell us more about herself and why she became one of our first franchise owners.
The Sports Bra places a huge emphasis on supporting women not only on the screens, but also behind the scenes. How are you bringing local, women-owned and operated businesses into your location?
Apart from our immediate ownership team, we’ve made a conscious effort to uplift women-owned companies from the very start. Our architecture firm is women-owned, our general contractor is a Women’s Business Enterprise (WBE), and our sign company is women-owned.
When it comes to the bar itself, 90% of our taps will feature women-owned, brewed, or distilled products (and that remaining 10% is one heck of a feminist!). Our liquor and spirits program will follow the same story, with Portland’s own Freeland Spirits serving as the backbone of our signature cocktail lineup.
What is your absolute favorite sport to watch?
Historically, it has always been softball and volleyball. However, since marrying a Slovakian and witnessing the incredible rise of the PWHL, hockey is slowly taking over as one of my top favorites!
We welcome fans of all ages, including kids! Why is it important to you that the next generation grows up seeing women's sports on the big screens?
I’ve been a woman athlete for half of my life. I often think about the massive change that could have occurred if watching and supporting women in sports had been normalized back when I was growing up. I find that the women’s game is typically more fundamental, and The Bra will give youth the opportunity to see their sport played at the highest level in an incredibly supportive environment. Visibility matters, and we want The Bra to be a core memory for the next generation of athletes.
If you could have a front-row seat to any historic women's sports moment, which one would you pick?
There are probably a hundred of them! But if I have to narrow it down, it would be Venus and Serena Williams playing for the title at Wimbledon in 2002, and the USWNT 99ers at the Rose Bowl, leading up to Brandi Chastain’s iconic penalty-kick finale and a sports bra photo! Those are the two most memorable moments from my youth where I can vividly pinpoint the realization that I was watching history happen in real-time.
Once the doors are officially open, who is on your dream guest list to walk in and sit at the bar?
Honestly, any St. Louis local! I think that gives back to our community the most. But if we are talking dream guests, I have a few specific local legends in mind: Napheesa Collier (who actually went to prom with our dog groomer's son!), Becky Sauerbrunn (who not only sent us our announcement video, but we happen to share the same orthopedic office), and Jackie Joyner-Kersey. She's an absolute legend, need I say more? Truly, I will feel deeply honored for anyone who makes it a point to come in and show their support.
Picture this: You're sitting at the bar on a packed game night. What is your go-to food and drink order?
I am a total sucker for a great smash burger and tots. All day, every day. It never gets old! To drink, my go-to cocktail is the Title IX. I absolutely love our twist on the Mint Julep. That said, between having Confluence (our local Kombucha) on tap and a sweet cider called Fabled from Noboleis Vineyards, I may never actually drink a standard cocktail again!
The Sports Bra St. Louis is scheduled to open in 2026 at 7344 Manchester Road in Maplewood, Missouri.
