Kingfisher Team Breaks the Sports Bar Archetype in Durham
The owners of underground cocktail bar Kingfisher and retro lounge Queeny's have another project on the way for downtown Durham, North Carolina. Restaurateurs Michelle Vanderwalker and Sean Umstead recently announced that they will open a 'community-driven sports bar for everyone,' named E.O. Athletic Club, this fall at 341 West Main Street.
The focus of E.O. Athletic Club will be fostering community through sports. As with Vanderwalker and Umstead's other projects, everyone is encouraged to visit — NFL fans, WNBA fans, ultimate frisbee fans, Olympic curling fans, and even Tar Heel fans in the Duke-centric town. The owners plan to host watch parties, theme nights, and competition games. Basically, this will not be your average bro-centric sports bar.
E.O. Athletic Club will serve Northeast-inspired pizzas, loaded baked potatoes, wings, sandwiches, salads, and other high-end bar fare. The establishment will be open for lunch, dinner, and late-night takeout.
The bar is named for biologist E. O. Wilson, who is the subject of the PBS film E.O. Wilson – Of Ants and Men. 'The name came from a conversation Michelle and I had about a documentary on E.O. Wilson,' says Umstead, 'Which said that nothing shows human desire for belonging better than sports and sports fandom. We really want to embrace the community and togetherness that comes so naturally from sports.'
E.O. Wilson will join the growing trend of modern sports bars leaning away from the archetype of macho sports bars with sticky floors. Spots like Jolene, Jolene in Atlanta, the Sports Bra in Portland, and Watch Me! In Long Beach, California, challenge the notion that watching athletes is only for football-obsessed dude bros.
Eater Carolinas
All your essential food and restaurant intel delivered to you Email (required)
Sign Up
By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Simone Biles Makes Herself at Home in Chicago Ahead of NFL Season—After Revealing She and Jonathan Owens Have a House There
Olympic gymnast Simone Biles is flipping her way through multiple luxury trips this summer—but she still found time to show her support for her husband, Jonathan Owens, over the weekend, when she visited their home in Chicago where the NFL star is busy preparing for the upcoming football season. Biles, 28, who recently returned from a girls' trip to the British Virgin Islands, wasted no time in jetting off to the Windy City to attend the Chicago Bears' annual Family Fest event at Soldier Field. Once there, she shared several photos and videos from the event—including a stunning snap of the Chicago skyline, which appears to have been taken from an apartment unit inside a high-rise building, which might well be where the couple are basing themselves for the NFL season. The seven-time gold medalist also shared several images and clips of her husband, whom she wed in 2023, out on the field, including a tongue-in-cheek video of the football pro showing off his juggling skills before starting his official training. Biles proved that she is already very much at home in the Illinois city, revealing that she has secured herself a preferred hairstylist in the area, who she noted 'slayed' her ponytail hairdo for the family-friendly event, which the team hosts each year. The talented athlete, who has competed at three Olympic Games, added two diamond necklaces to her look—including a sweet accessory that spelled out her married name, 'Owens,' in sparkles, before topping the look off with a pair of sunglasses. Ever the jet-setter, Biles apparently did not stay in Chicago for long. She later posted photos and videos from her evening walk with her beloved French bulldog; they appear to have been taken near her home in Spring, TX, which she has owned since 2020. Biles has been based in Texas for much of her life, having resided with her parents, Ron and Nellie, in the state since her childhood. And while she and Owens have committed to a life in Chicago—at least during the NFL season—it's clear that they plan for the Lone Star State to be their home base for many years to come, having started work on a stunning custom-built lakefront mansion near Biles' childhood home in 2023. The gymnast has shared the progress of her mansion on her social media, beginning with the home's basic structure, then moving on to various design details, from the monochrome laundry room to the waterfront infinity pool. The couple's new dwelling, when finished, will offer some special amenities, including a wet bar, game room, home theater, pet spa, and multiple balconies overlooking the water. In October, Biles revealed that work on the property was nearing completion, when she showed off some of the stunning interior decor touches that had been installed. They include a dramatic black-and-white marble backsplash in the kitchen and some quirky patterned tiling in the laundry room. Outside, her images captured the new swimming pool, which overlooks the lake and features a lavish spa. The photos revealed that the pool's foundation had been laid, the structure was almost complete, and it just needed an overhaul of the surrounding space—as well as some water to fill it. More recently, she shared another exciting update: the addition of grass at the front of the home. 'We have grass,' she said while sharing a photo of the lawn on her Instagram Stories, adding a shocked screaming emoji for emphasis. The photo also showed several brick planter beds filled with an array of foliage. The white exterior and black window frames could also be seen, with a flowering tree in the background. Though the grass might not mark the most significant progression in the homebuilding process, its arrival suggests that Biles and Owens' opulent new dwelling might be near completion, just in time for the latter to head to Chicago for preseason training. Owens is preparing to start his second season with the Bears, after signing a two-year contract in 2024. He started his NFL career with the Cardinals in 2018, before moving to the Houston Texans, where he was playing when he and Biles began dating. Though his football success has forced him to bounce around multiple locations over the past three years, Biles has remained his most avid supporter, regularly appearing on the sidelines of his games, more often than not sporting custom merch made in his honor. And it seems this season, she will take that support one step further, noting in May that she and Owens had found a home in Chicago, where they will likely base themselves during the season. In a post shared on her Instagram Stories at the time, Biles said the couple were busy shopping for new cars for their Chicago dwelling, although she gave no details about the property itself. 'Looking at cars today for our Chicago home,' she wrote over an image of the inside of a Porsche showroom. It is unclear if the couple have decided to put down permanent roots in the Windy City by buying a house or if they've opted to rent until the future of Owens' place on the team is confirmed. Related Articles Miami-Style Luxury Condo Building Comes to the Jersey Shore New-Home Sales Remain Slow in June Adam Lambert Sells L.A. Home for $6.2 Million Solve the daily Crossword
CNN
2 hours ago
- CNN
Trump says he wants strong testing to keep transgender athletes out of women's sports at 2028 Olympics
President Donald Trump on Tuesday signed an executive order to establish a White House task force to coordinate the federal government's preparations for the 2028 Summer Olympic Games in Los Angeles, using the occasion to rail against transgender athletes' participation in women's sports. The task force is a mirror image of a similar group overseeing the federal preparations for next year's World Cup in the United States. The group is meant to centralize all the various planning operations that will need to work in sync to make a massive event like the Olympics go smoothly. But even while touting the unifying spirit of the Olympics, Trump delved deep into the culture wars around sports that he said were a key part of his 2024 presidential campaign. A few minutes into the event, Trump thanked Gene Sykes – the president and chairman of the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee – for the group's pledge to follow a Trump administration order by banning transgender women athletes in an update to the organization's athlete safety policy. The change was a part of a 27-page document released last month that made reference to the committee's compliance with Trump's 'Keeping Men Out of Women's Sports' executive order, which was issued in February. 'The United States will not let men steal trophies from women at the 2028 Olympics. So, we appreciate the fairness and everything else that you've shown,' Trump said to Sykes. Later, Trump was asked by a reporter if he would direct Attorney General Pam Bondi to prosecute any transgender athletes participating in women's sports, referring especially to the women's boxing competition. At the Paris Olympics last year, Algerian boxer Imane Khelif won the gold medal amid scrutiny over her gender after a previous governing body – the International Boxing Association – disqualified her and another Taiwanese boxer from competition after alleging they failed an eligibility test. Khelif has repeatedly said that she is not transgender and Olympic officials said repeatedly through the Games that she is, and always has been, a woman. Still, that has not stopped Trump and other critics from repeatedly referring to her as a man and using her gold medal victory as a talking point in stump speeches. The president demurred over the idea of prosecuting any transgender athlete who takes part in women's competitions, saying he expects 'a very strong form of testing.' 'As far as charges, I'd have to ask the attorney general about that. I don't know, but there will be a very, very strong form of testing, and if the test doesn't come out appropriately, they won't be in the Olympics,' he said. The testing will be put in place by the world governing bodies of each sport. Some of those governing bodies, such as World Athletics, have already announced plans for one-time genetic testing of athletes looking to compete in female competitions. World Boxing announced plans for genetic testing, specifically mentioning Khelif in their announcement – something for which they later apologized. Trump said he thought the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee would have cracked down on transgender athletes participating in women's sports even without his influence. 'They probably would have because it just seems to be an issue that most people feel should be,' Trump said. The president added that he feels very strongly about the issue and made it a central message of his campaign, saying his presidential run was based 'partially on that.' While Trump was complimentary of Casey Wasserman, the chair of the Los Angeles Organizing Committee for the 2028 Olympic Games, slammed the California Democratic politicians who will also be working to ensure the event goes smoothly. He name-checked Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and California Gov. Gavin Newsom, attacking the governor for his approach to wildfires in the state and how California uses its water – and Bass over the approval process for building permits after wildfires devastated parts of the city earlier this year. The president promised to use the National Guard and military to provide security at the Olympics, if necessary. It's not unusual for massive security reinforcements to provide security for the Games; in Paris, police from all parts of Europe were present on the streets of the City of Lights as part of the security operation. 'This is going to be so safe, and – if we have to – because obviously you have a mayor that is not very competent,' Trump said. The president himself is the chairman of the task force and Vice President JD Vance will serve as vice chair. The Olympic Games are a point of pride for Trump and he has reveled in the fact that the quadrennial event, along with next year's World Cup and this year's Ryder Cup, will take place in the US during his second term in office. He promised to mobilize 'the entire federal government to ensure the games are safe, seamless and historically successful. It's going to be amazing. I think it's going to be amazing. America is a nation of champions, and in July 2028 we'll show the world what America does best, and that's when we're winning like we have never won before.'
CNN
2 hours ago
- CNN
Trump says he wants strong testing to keep transgender athletes out of women's sports at 2028 Olympics
President Donald Trump on Tuesday signed an executive order to establish a White House task force to coordinate the federal government's preparations for the 2028 Summer Olympic Games in Los Angeles, using the occasion to rail against transgender athletes' participation in women's sports. The task force is a mirror image of a similar group overseeing the federal preparations for next year's World Cup in the United States. The group is meant to centralize all the various planning operations that will need to work in sync to make a massive event like the Olympics go smoothly. But even while touting the unifying spirit of the Olympics, Trump delved deep into the culture wars around sports that he said were a key part of his 2024 presidential campaign. A few minutes into the event, Trump thanked Gene Sykes – the president and chairman of the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee – for the group's pledge to follow a Trump administration order by banning transgender women athletes in an update to the organization's athlete safety policy. The change was a part of a 27-page document released last month that made reference to the committee's compliance with Trump's 'Keeping Men Out of Women's Sports' executive order, which was issued in February. 'The United States will not let men steal trophies from women at the 2028 Olympics. So, we appreciate the fairness and everything else that you've shown,' Trump said to Sykes. Later, Trump was asked by a reporter if he would direct Attorney General Pam Bondi to prosecute any transgender athletes participating in women's sports, referring especially to the women's boxing competition. At the Paris Olympics last year, Algerian boxer Imane Khelif won the gold medal amid scrutiny over her gender after a previous governing body – the International Boxing Association – disqualified her and another Taiwanese boxer from competition after alleging they failed an eligibility test. Khelif has repeatedly said that she is not transgender and Olympic officials said repeatedly through the Games that she is, and always has been, a woman. Still, that has not stopped Trump and other critics from repeatedly referring to her as a man and using her gold medal victory as a talking point in stump speeches. The president demurred over the idea of prosecuting any transgender athlete who takes part in women's competitions, saying he expects 'a very strong form of testing.' 'As far as charges, I'd have to ask the attorney general about that. I don't know, but there will be a very, very strong form of testing, and if the test doesn't come out appropriately, they won't be in the Olympics,' he said. The testing will be put in place by the world governing bodies of each sport. Some of those governing bodies, such as World Athletics, have already announced plans for one-time genetic testing of athletes looking to compete in female competitions. World Boxing announced plans for genetic testing, specifically mentioning Khelif in their announcement – something for which they later apologized. Trump said he thought the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee would have cracked down on transgender athletes participating in women's sports even without his influence. 'They probably would have because it just seems to be an issue that most people feel should be,' Trump said. The president added that he feels very strongly about the issue and made it a central message of his campaign, saying his presidential run was based 'partially on that.' While Trump was complimentary of Casey Wasserman, the chair of the Los Angeles Organizing Committee for the 2028 Olympic Games, slammed the California Democratic politicians who will also be working to ensure the event goes smoothly. He name-checked Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and California Gov. Gavin Newsom, attacking the governor for his approach to wildfires in the state and how California uses its water – and Bass over the approval process for building permits after wildfires devastated parts of the city earlier this year. The president promised to use the National Guard and military to provide security at the Olympics, if necessary. It's not unusual for massive security reinforcements to provide security for the Games; in Paris, police from all parts of Europe were present on the streets of the City of Lights as part of the security operation. 'This is going to be so safe, and – if we have to – because obviously you have a mayor that is not very competent,' Trump said. The president himself is the chairman of the task force and Vice President JD Vance will serve as vice chair. The Olympic Games are a point of pride for Trump and he has reveled in the fact that the quadrennial event, along with next year's World Cup and this year's Ryder Cup, will take place in the US during his second term in office. He promised to mobilize 'the entire federal government to ensure the games are safe, seamless and historically successful. It's going to be amazing. I think it's going to be amazing. America is a nation of champions, and in July 2028 we'll show the world what America does best, and that's when we're winning like we have never won before.'
