Today we’d like to introduce you to Jax Diener.
Jax, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
My story spans decades. After repeatedly watching NFL Sunday Football, I’d leave the bar each week telling my friends, “I’m going to open my own sports bar one day”. My desire and dream laid dormant as I walked through many industries trying to find the right fit for my skills and my soul. When I learned of the brilliance of The Sports Bra, I quickly reached out to owner Jenny Nguyen and built a relationship. I wanted to do what she was doing in Portland here in Long Beach, but The Bra was still too young and Jenny wasn’t quite ready to chat franchising. After about 8 months, and as I could see the rise of women’s sports and media rights changing, we decided to go out on our own as a predominantly women’s sports bar in Sept 2023. I then looked at sporting events coming up in the year ahead and when I realized the Paris Olympics had an opening ceremony date of July 26, 2024, I circled that date as our grand opening date. From there, we plowed forward, with most saying we’d never make it, to which I always thought, WATCH ME! We proved our name over and over again in the process and successfully opened Watch Me! Sports Bar July 26, 2024.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Our road has been far from smooth! We opened to amazing crowds for the Olympics, which was a great thing! But we also learned during that time that our kitchen wasn’t prepared for the masses. We also discovered we inherited faulty equipment and we were literally problem solving every minute. Once things settled a bit, it became clear the winter months are quieter and I had to find creative ways to build our customer base. That meant now I was also an event planner. The art of the pivot is alive and well at Watch Me! Sports Bar!
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Watch Me! Sports Bar?
I’m the owner of Watch Me! Sports Bar, the first in California and LA County dedicated to celebrating women’s sports. My strengths and background in project management with a super power of organization helped get me to here. I love that Watch Me! is known as an inclusive space where all ages, races and genders are welcome and invited to come in, enjoy games and build camaraderie in a supported, safe atmosphere. We’ve listened to the community and continuously adjust our food and bev menus to suit the wants of our customers. As we head to our 1 year anniversary, we’re really amped for our evolution and the amazing opportunities that lie ahead. We’re building a convertible podcast studio space upstairs, expanding our party bus program and working towards bringing women’s pro sports to Long Beach!
Is there something surprising that you feel even people who know you might not know about?
Most people might not know that I rely largely on my instincts. While not always right, they guide me, shape my decisions and have allowed me to believe in what’s possible, and all the goodness I can force in the future.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://watchmesportsbar.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/watchme_sportsbar/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WatchMeSportsBarLongBeach
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/watch-me-sports-bar/?viewAsMember=true
