Philly women’s sports bar Marsha’s announces abrupt closure after just over a year
The bar, which opened on Sept. 19, 2025, had its share of controversy during its run. Its final day is Sunday
Just over a year after opening, Marsha’s, Philadelphia’s first women’s sports bar, has announced its closure.
The announcement was made via social media. An Instagram post Thursday afternoon asked followers to “please join us for Marsha’s closing weekend.”
The last day for the bar, which opened on Sept. 19, 2025, is Sunday.
“It is with heavy hearts that we have decided to close Marsha’s doors for good. We have loved serving this community, and still believe that more than ever this city needs more women/queer/BIPOC-owned businesses. We sincerely hope that someone is able to step up and fill this void,” Marsha’s wrote in its Instagram caption.
The bar’s run had its share of controversy.
In February, the bar was raided by 12 police officers, some of whom were masked. Marsha’s owner Chivonn Anderson said police were there to inspect the bar after complaints had been made about serving alcohol to underage patrons, serving alcohol after permitted hours, and operating without proper licenses. The interaction was posted to social media, and many responses were in support of the bar.
» READ MORE: Did law enforcement go overboard on an inspection of the only women’s sports bar in Philadelphia?
Marsha’s more recently found itself at the center of a dispute involving former employee and bartender Olivia Rhodes, who took to social media after being fired. Rhodes, in a since-deleted video, accused the bar of not being a safe space for Black, trans, and queer people. Her allegations quickly gathered attention, and other former employees and patrons shared similar experiences.
Marsha’s response included community discussions and releasing statements. Despite that, Anderson said it was not enough.
“Unfortunately, a former employee was spreading lies about myself and the company,” Anderson told The Inquirer on Thursday. “It just really affected our business and how the community saw us, and business just never kind of rebounded from that.”
Rhodes continues to stand by her claims, posting to her Instagram story on Thursday following Marsha’s announcement: “She’d rather close the bar down than acknowledge and rectify the harm she caused.”
Anderson notified the staff about the closure ahead of the announcement and said she is trying to help them find new employment.
The bar will be open during its regular hours this weekend, showing multiple games across sports, notably the WNBA Finals and the Eagles’ matchup with the Carolina Panthers.
