In October 2024, Rita Adair asked to watch a women’s sports game while at a local sports bar. Her request was denied. In the months that followed, Adair went to bars all over the city, asking the same question. The answer didn’t change.
Now, Adair is preparing to open Bernell’s, Madison’s first women’s sports bar, at 2513 Seiferth Road (the former home of Red Rooster).
The bar is a tribute to Adair’s late wife, Bernell Hooker. Hooker was a long-time advocate for women’s sports: In 2002, she started a non-profit dedicated to athletic education and opportunities for women. She also coached collegiate basketball in Milwaukee for 25 years, and owned and operated the Milwaukee Aces, a semi-professional women’s basketball team, in 2014…