On June 11, Danielle Thoe and Sara Yergovich made history when they opened Rikki's, San Francisco's first and only bar dedicated to women's sports.
The duo first met playing soccer for the San Francisco Spikes. After a game one day, they tried to find a place to watch a National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) match—it wasn't easy.
So, Thoe and Yergovich decided to do something about it.
The timing of their venture couldn't be more perfect. Momentum behind women's sports is growing, especially in the Bay Area. Bay FC, currently entering its second year competing in the NWSL, qualified for the playoffs in its inaugural season. The Golden State Valkyries shattered expectations by selling out their first four games at the Chase Center when they debuted in May 2025. Other local women's teams—like the San Francisco Nighthawks (WPSL), Bay Breakers (rugby) and Falcons (ultimate frisbee)—are also gaining steam.
Rikki's co-owners Sara Yergovich and Danielle Thoe(Molly DeCoudreaux for Rikki's)
Rikki's is named afterSF legend and LGBTQ+ rights advocate Rikki Streicher, who operated Maud's in the Haight in 1966 and Amelia's in the Mission in the late 1970s—both classic establishments that provided a meaningful and inclusive place for community members. Streicher also co-founded the Gay Olympics in 1980 (later called the Gay Games), sponsored women's sports communities, and hired women as bartenders before they were legally allowed to pull pints.
On busy Market Street, Rikki’s is welcoming and full of color, with little Easter eggs hidden throughout the space. Walls are lined with framed jerseys, photos documenting local women's sports history, Sports Illustrated covers featuring female athletes, and framed medals from the Gay Games. The eye-catching, neon-lined wallpaper layers basketball courts, soccer fields, and running tracks; the light fixtures along the back wall are hoops with lit basketballs inside.
At Rikki’s center is a simple red banner that reads, "You Belong Here." Sitting on purple benches at wooden tables, surrounded by art, history, and sports memorabilia, it's hard not to feel welcome—and maybe even a little inspired.
Rikki's classic women's sports memorabilia(Nicole Findlay)
Rikki's menu consists of California comfort food, which Yergovich describes as "fun, delicious, [and] creative, but also familiar." The kitchen is led by consulting chef JD Voss, former owner of SF's Jamber who is now the owner and chef of the Chicago brunch-focused restaurant, m.henry.
The menu is full of shareables, including spiced carrots with a choice of tangy feta or turmeric tofu dips; sugar snap peas with burrata or white bean dips; and duck fat confit chicken wings. Main meals are also on the table, like the hot chicken sammy—a cornflake-crusted thigh with Rikki's buffalo sauce, jalapeño-ranch slaw, and dill pickle on ciabatta. The beef burger with arugula, crispy onion, and aioli on a sesame bun pairs perfectly with a cold draft 21st Amendment Lager or Laughing Monk IPA.
The creative cocktail menu is crafted by Christian "Suzu" Suzuki, a former contestant on the hit Netflix show Drink Masters. Opt for one of six specialty cocktails honoring women's sports, like the Queen Is King—a blue-hued nod to tennis legend Billie Jean King—or the Ballhalla, which refers to the Chase Center home of the Valkyries, and consists of white rum, plum brandy, cacao, guava, mint, cava, and clarified soy milk.
Rikki's drinks were crafted by Christian "Suzu" Suzuki, a former 'Drink Masters' contestant.(Molly DeCoudreaux for Rikki's)
"It's a spirit-forward, glittery cocktail that's the color of the Valkyries violet," says Yergovich. "But maybe only have one—they're the strongest drink on the menu."
There are also plenty of low-ABV cocktails like the Soccer MommenPop Spritz (blood orange aperitif and blood orange soda) and non-alcoholic options, like the Dry Mule (Martini & Rossi Floreale, lime, and ginger beer).
Most importantly, with Rikki’s, the days of squinting at a women's playoff soccer game on a small TV in the corner of a bar with no sound—while everyone else is watching (and listening to) a men's regular season match—are long gone. Simply put, Thoe and Yergovich have created the perfect place to watch women's sports on TV.
But Rikki's is more than just a bar. It's about community: a place to watch the game, have a bite to eat, and gather with friends—a place where everyone feels like they belong. Women's sports are for everyone, and so is Rikki's.
// Rikki's is open Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 3:30pm to 10:00pm, Fridays and Saturdays from 11:30am to 12am, and Sundays from 11:30am to 10:00pm; 2223 Market St. (Castro), rikkisbarsf.com
Every TV at Rikki's plays women's sports.(Molly DeCoudreaux for Rikki's)
