"Female-friendly" sports lounge Bracket Room isn't just trying to attract the women (and men) of Clarendon anymore. Now, it's aiming to appeal to the women (and men) of the world. The nearly one-year-old restaurant and bar from Bachelorette/Bachelor Pad/Bachelor in Paradise star Chris Bukowski and his partners Jeff Greenberg and Nicole Pettitt will open new locations at Dulles International and Reagan National airports in June of 2015 through a licensing partnership with St. Louis-based OHM Concession Group. Both locations will be located post-security: terminal B at Reagan National and concourse A-B at Dulles.
The airport Bracket Rooms will serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Expect a slightly pared down version of the Clarendon spot with more popular dishes like Grandma Rose’s spinach dip, chicken and waffles, Philly cheesesteak egg rolls, and the "world’s best" tater tots. And yes, all 64 shooters—currently dubbed things like "Silk Panties," "Catfish Hunter," and "Purple Hooter"—will be on the drink menu, along with craft beers, sangria, and top-shelf spirits. You'll also be able to charge your phone or computer at the bar with outlets and USB ports.
"The feel and look will be as well mimicked as possible," says Bukowski. That means plenty of flatscreen TVs, so travelers can catch games and, of course, the latest Bachelorette season. Bukowski says he's always trying to get his fellow reality TV stars to make guest appearances when the show is on, but it's often tough for them to make it to Arlington. "It will be a lot more convenient for people that were on the show to pop into Bracket Room, especially if they're traveling," he says.
As for that whole "female-friendly" thing: Yes, Bukowski is still calling it that, but he says the phrase has been misunderstood. "We're not singling anybody out, we're not saying that women don't like regular sports bars," he says. "We're just offering more attention to detail—things that my sisters told me that they would want in a bar."
Beyond the airport locations, Bukowski says he has his eyes set on further expansion in the future. "This has been really great for us, the whole airport thing, and it gives us a little more drive, a little more confidence to go out to different markets," he says. "I want to be in Chicago because that's where I'm from." Nothing is set in motion yet, but women of the Windy City, watch out.
Photo courtesy Chris Bukowski