Beauty brand Dove is picking up the tab at South Street’s Marsha’s this Saturday. Here’s why.
Dove will pay for all food and drinks at the South Street bar during the women's singles final of the U.S. Open, as a partnership with select women-owned bars across the country
Nearly a year after its opening, Marsha’s, Philly’s only female-centric sports bar, is gathering staff and supplies to celebrate a partnership that the owner, Chivonn Anderson, says is “definitely a first.”
Dove, a national sponsor of the U.S. Open, is picking up the tab at 10 women-owned sports bars around the country during the U.S. women’s singles final this Saturday. Dove will pay for all food and drinks at the South Street bar during the game, or until supplies last, and will also be doing complimentary giveaways. For Anderson, the campaign is a dream come true.
“When I received an email from Dove’s PR company saying that they were looking to partner with women’s sports bars, we were just taken aback,” Anderson recalled. “Between 4 [p.m.] and 7 p.m., they’re going to pick up the tab for everybody that’s in the bar watching the finals, which is insane and amazing.”
Marsha’s is preparing to be busy. Anderson has been gathering a full staff to help things flow as smoothly as possible. The bar will still open at noon, so patrons hoping to grab a seat for the game should plan to arrive early. Anderson says that “People are encouraged to tip, but there is a gratuity for the three hours of service paid for by Dove.”
Marsha’s is no stranger to a busy night, though, having gathered plenty of practice during the WNBA season and, more recently, serving as one of the few bars in the area to stream NWSL and WPBL games. The bar’s first anniversary is on Sept. 19, and it marks a big milestone not only for Anderson — but for women’s sports.
“It’s really exciting to see that our one-year anniversary is next week,” Anderson said. “To see all the things that we have been able to do in this past year feels really good. ... The momentum has been there for a while. It’s just now women’s sports are finally getting their due publicity, and people are really paying attention to it.”
The match will pit Aryna Sabalenka against Elena Rybakina as the two meet in a Grand Slam final for the second time this year. Rybakina beat Sabalenka at the Australian Open earlier this year.
The partnership is part of Dove’s “Don’t Sweat It. Make a Racket” campaign, an initiative Anderson says is doing the right thing by “highlighting small businesses that are trying to bring more awareness to this industry.”
“These advertisers are starting to realize that there’s a whole market out there that is untapped,” Anderson said.
Marsha’s will offer its full menu Saturday, including a pasta buffet and a Mexican buffet, and will sample new cocktails that could be added to the regular menu. The team hopes to use Saturday to “put their best foot forward” and highlight all Marsha’s has to offer, in both food and community space. The unexpected partnership is a boon for any bar, but especially for a space like Marsha’s.
“I really think that Dove is kind of setting a precedent moving forward in women’s sports,” Anderson said. “I think it’s a wonderful idea, and I hope other businesses kind of take note of what they’re doing, because it is pretty significant.”
