A new sports bar in Durham may have you feeling like storming the court
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- EO’s Athletic Club opens downtown Durham highlighting women’s sports and major events.
- Took over former Beyu Caffe with 24+ TVs, projector, memorabilia and 400+ bartop photos.
- Menu offers pub fare, beers and draft cocktails; open Wed-Sun at 5 p.m., expanding Mar 3.
Beyond the stadiums and arenas, it’s the barstools and banks of televisions where sports can feel just as alive, where passion pulses amid strangers and comrades alike, joined by this collective thrill of the game.
A new sports bar in Durham is ready to meet a major sports moment.
The very first weekend at EO’s Athletic Club carried two of the biggest games of each and every year: Duke-UNC basketball on Saturday, Feb. 7 and the Super Bowl on Sunday, Feb. 8. But everyone shows those games. EO’s aims to offer its fans even more, focusing its spotlight on women’s sports at a time when interest has never been higher.
Owned by Michelle Vanderwalker and Sean Umstead, the team behind Kingfisher cocktail bar, Queeny’s and QueenBurger, EO’s took over the former Beyu Caffe at 341 W. Main Street in the heart of downtown Durham.
New Durham sports bar opens
“We’ve always believed hospitality is about creating spaces where people feel seen and welcomed,” says Vanderwalker. “Sports have this incredible ability to bring people together — across generations, backgrounds, and levels of enthusiasm — and we wanted to build a place that honors that energy while being intentional about inclusion, especially around women’s sports.”
More than two dozen TVs have been stuffed into the massive space, and a projector screen is brought off the bench for the truly big games.
For the bartop, EO’s Athletic Club called on the Durham community to submit photos from their youth sports days. Now more than 400 of rec league portraits are immortalized on the epoxy bartop.
Other nostalgic touches include trophies, pennants, vintage sports gear and wood-paneled walls.
EO’s menu
The menu features basic beers and local craft, and craveable pub fare from chef Austin Crowe. There’s a deep-fried hot dog, crispy wings, thin crust personal pan pizzas, sandwiches on house-made focaccia bread and loaded baked potatoes.
On the drinks side, GM Rebecca Redman is leading the beverage program, which features draft cocktails like a spicy margarita and prosecco on tap. A crispy beer called “Scout’s Lager” has been brewed by Durham brewery Glass Jug.
Most of the first few weeks at EO’s have been dominated by the Winter Olympics in Italy and college basketball, with marquee women’s matchups getting the same big-screen treatment as the men.
“From day one, we knew we wanted to give women’s sports the same visibility and energy that men’s sports have traditionally received,” says Umstead. “If it matters to our community — whether that’s a national championship, a Premier League match, or Unrivaled — it’s going to be on our screens.”
For now, EO’s Athletic Club opens at 5 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday. Hours are expected to expand starting March 3.
This story was originally published February 19, 2026 at 3:28 PM with the headline "A new sports bar in Durham may have you feeling like storming the court."
