How to Choose a Sports Bar Name + 50 Sports Bar Name Ideas to Inspire You

Sports bars are go-to places for enjoying food and drinks while catching the latest game. In many cities, you can find several in every neighborhood. And if you’re looking to start your own sports bar, now’s a great time to do it. 

One of the first steps in building your sports bar business is choosing the right restaurant name. It’ll be attached to your branding forever, and lead people to your business. That means your sports bar’s name has to be something you love, and one that represents your business effectively.

Here are four major steps for identifying the right name for your sports bar, along with ideas to further inspire your new and exciting business venture!

How do I choose a sports bar business name?

It all starts with brainstorming. Here are a few ideas to jumpstart your name idea-generating process:

• Write down your vision for your sports bar business, focusing on its mission and core values
• Make sure your sports bar business name isn’t already taken
• Play around with a name generator to spark new ideas
• Reach out to your community for name ideas

What are good sports bar business names?

A great sports bar name is unique to your business. It should stick in the minds of your patrons, reminding them of your brand and representing your personality. It should also reflect what goods and services your business offers. It should be simple to remember and to spell so that potential patrons can easily find you on Google or social media.

1. Write down your vision for your sports bar business

Start thinking about your mission statement, which describes who you are, why you’re here, and what you plan to accomplish as a new enterprise in your community. These details will all influence your business’ name. Then, use the exercise below to get your creative juices flowing. 

Grab a pen and paper and write down the following:

• The kind of food you’ll be offering
• Your core values and mission
• The personality and vibe of your sports bar 
• Adjectives you’d use to describe your sports bar 
• Your name (and the name of your business partners, if any) 
• Any family names that are important to you
• The neighborhood or town where your sports bar will be located

The purpose of this exercise is to pull out words and phrases that describe your sports bar business, which may make up part or all of its name. 

When you run out of things to add, go back and read over your list of words and phrases, circling your favorites. These will all be building blocks for your future sports bar business name.

2. Choose a name that isn’t already taken

Needless to say, it’s important to make sure your sports bar’s name doesn’t already exist. Once you've settled on a handful of name contenders, run each one through the following resources to ensure they aren’t already in use by existing businesses.

• Google search
• Google My Business
• The Yellow Pages 
• The Better Business Bureau
• The United States Patent and Trademark Office’s Trademark database search

Be thorough with your research, as copyright infringement can come with steep penalties. To learn more about copyright infringement, visit Copyright.gov.

3. Use a name generator to spark new ideas. 

Name generators are an excellent tool to inspire different word combinations you hadn’t considered before. 

Some generators ask for guidance in the form of keywords, while others simply assemble random combinations of words. No matter the generator, it’s good to have your keyword shortlist on hand. 

Sure, some of the suggested names and combos will be unusable. But they’ll still help you determine what you like and what you don’t. 

Sports Bar Business Name Generators to Use

• Namelix Restaurant Name Generator 
• Buzztime Restaurant Name Generator
• Fantasy Name Generators' Restaurant Name Generator
• Business Name Generator
• Kopywriting Kourse Restaurant Name Generator

4. Reach out to your community for sports bar business name ideas

Most people who start sports bars do so to create something special for their community. So why not build a relationship with locals from day one? Asking your community to contribute to the name brainstorming process is a fantastic way to build your relationship, and will get them excited for your launch.

Social media is an excellent platform for community-building. You can reach out through social media using strategic posts and engagement. Think about asking your community members to suggest names or vote on your favorites through Instagram or Facebook posts and stories.

To build traction around your social media posts, consider including a raffle, giveaway, or future discounts for those who participate. Get creative with this! The more unique and special your offer, the more likely people will contribute their name ideas.

50 Real Sports Bar Name Ideas to Inspire You

Taking some name inspiration from successful sports bars is never a bad idea. These names can help you identify the theme and style you’re going for. Do you want your name to be creative? To rhyme? Or just be funny? No matter what style you’re aiming for, these established sports bar names will lend a hand in your sports bar naming process.

Here are 50 of the best sports bar business names around the country: 

Creative Sports Bar Business Names

1. Hot Shots Hideaway Bar – Cary, NC 
2. The Greatest Bar – Boston, MA 
3. LAces – Los Angeles, CA 
4. The Front Yard – Las Vegas, NV 
5. Hi Tops Bar – West Hollywood, CA 
6. Parlor and Yard – Austin, TX 
7. Bar Code Burger Bar – Las Vegas, NV 
8. 3rd Base LA – Los Angeles, CA 
9. Nights & Weekends – Chicago, IL 
10. Tailgate Sports Cafe – Minneapolis, MN
11. Mac's Industrial Sports Bar – Minneapolis, MN
12. 1st Place – Charleston, SC

Unique Sports Bar Business Names

1. Clara’s – New York, NY 
2. The Octopus Bar – Seattle, WA 
3. Dorothy – Chicago, IL 
4. Fox & Hound – Philadelphia, PA 
5. Lou’s City Bar – Washington, D.C. 
6. Locust Rendezvous – Philadelphia, PA
7. Accordion Club – Durham, NC 
8. Rubies on Five Points – Durham, NC 
9. Jalapeno Pete’s – Studio City, CA 
10. Ivy and Coney – Washington, D.C. 
11. Half Time Rec – Minneapolis, MN
12. Bevvy Uptown – Phoenix, AZ 
13. Moonflower – Chicago, IL 
14. The Blue Door Longfellow – Minneapolis, MN
15. The Brick – Charleston, SC 
16. STATS Brewpub – Atlanta, GA 

Rhyming or Alliterative Sports Bar Business Names

1. Sweet Spot – New York, NY 
2. The California Clipper – Chicago, IL 
3. Banter Bar – New York, NY
4. Sports & Social – Atlanta, GA 
5. Aces & Ales – Las Vegas, NV 
6. Kangaroo and Kiwi – Seattle, WA 
7. Pin & Proper – Atlanta, GA 
8. Pilot Project Brewing – Chicago, IL 
9. Bay Street Biergarten – Charleston, SC 

Funny Sports Bar Business Names

1. Blondies – New York, NY 
2. Tailgate Social Sports Bar & Grill – Las Vegas, NV 
3. The Ugly Monkey Party Bar – Raleigh, NC 
4. Rhythm & Booze – New York, NY 
5. Tap Sports Bar – Las Vegas, NV 
6. The Stumble Inn – New York, NY 
7. Happy Chicks – Austin, TX 
8. Misconduct Tavern – Philadelphia, PA 
9. Money, Baby! – Las Vegas, NV 
10. The Lodge Sasquatch Kitchen – Tempe, AZ 
11. Mother’s Ruin – Chicago, IL 
12. The Pint – Las Vegas, NV 
13. Peppers and Fries – Minneapolis, MN

Sports Bar Name? Check.

Once you’ve picked your name, it’s time to take the next steps towards sports bar success. That means building your business plan and plotting the path forward. Soon enough, you’ll be the go-to spot for everyone in town. 

Related Bar Business Resources

• Cost to Open a Sports Bar
• Sports Bar Marketing Ideas
• Best Sports Bar Websites
• Sports Bar Business Plan Template
• Sports Bar Ideas and Concepts
• Sports Bar Floor Plans
• Sports Bar Menu Ideas
• Sports Bar Design Ideas