A New York City-based LGBT sports bar will be expanding to Philadelphia’s Gayborhood in the coming weeks.
Boxers Philadelphia will occupy the space at the former Ritz Camera, 1330 Walnut St., where renovations have been ongoing throughout the summer.
Boxers NYC has two locations in Manhattan — the original in Chelsea, which opened more than five years ago, and a second locale in Hell’s Kitchen, which opened last year. The club was founded and is managed by partners Rob Hynds and Bob Fluet.
Hynds said the concept for Boxers NYC grew organically.
“We were playing golf and a real-estate broker who was there said, ‘Hey guys, why don’t you open up a restaurant together?’ And I said to Bob, I won’t do a restaurant but I will do a bar — a sports bar — and we ended up opening one. It did really well and then the others followed.”
The pair announced earlier this year that they were bringing their popular franchise to Philadelphia.
He said expanding to Philadelphia, where Hynds spent 10 years playing in the City of Brotherly Love Softball League, for The Bike Stop team, seemed like the natural next step.
“I am quite familiar with Philadelphia and I like the city,” Hynds said, noting that the Gayborhood offered the ideal location. “I liked the idea that the bar would be in the Gayborhood because you are on the main strip and you can have a lot of people coming in. In terms of physical space, it is hard to find a place with big, high ceilings and we like voluminous ceilings.”
The new bar will offer two levels. The first will be a 2,040-square-foot space with a 55-foot bar and multiple high-definition big-screen televisions affixed to the walls. The second floor will be a 620-square-foot mezzanine with another shorter bar top and a large copper pizza oven, as well as a food-preparation area in the back.
The venue will include pool tables and several beers on tap and, in keeping with their theme, bartenders will wear boxers.
Philadelphia native Kip Phelps will manage the bar.
While no official opening date has been set, Hynds said the bar usually does a soft opening first for area LGBT sports leagues.
“What we traditionally do is have an unofficial opening for local sports leagues and bring them in for some food and drinks and let them get a feel for the place before we open to the public,” he said.
When Boxers does open to the public, it will have a one-hour open bar, Hynds said.
The clientele varies among locations, Hynds said, but Boxers typically sees about 70-percent men. But, he noted, Boxers, which offers unisex bathrooms, is a welcoming place for all LGBTs and allies.
“It is sexy and it is fun but it is not over the top that you wouldn’t want to bring your coworker or family here.”
For more information, visit www.boxers-nyc.com.