CLEVELAND, Ohio – The owners of The W sports bar are all about cheering – not only for teams and players, but for women. Soon, the bar is set to open its doors at 5428 Detroit Ave. Its pro-Cleveland approach is nothing new for a sports bar, but its uniqueness lies in the fact the owners are adamant about offering a safe space for anyone to watch a variety of sports in Cleveland’s Gordon Square neighborhood. “First and foremost we are a Cleveland bar,” said Cassy Kopp, one of the owners. “We want a place for women to be safe.” The name of the game, so to speak, is to be “inclusive, not exclusive,” she said. That means not only its approach to sports but for fans. At a recent pre-opening party, nine televisions throughout The W simultaneously aired the Cleveland Guardians, NFL Draft, women’s soccer, college baseball and hockey. The bar is opening soon, Shelley Pippin said. About the only things not ready were a few pieces of furniture along with some signage. Pippin is an accomplished businesswoman, having opened Brewnuts down the street with her husband, John. She said she’s a bit calmer with this opening than with Brewnuts eight years ago. “I’m able to enjoy the moment now,” she said. “Before I was running things out of the kitchen, I was spinning so many plates. I’m still spinning a lot of plates. But it’s in a way now where I have the ability to handle that kind of pressure now and the ability to say, ‘It’s all going to be fine.’” The space is a sports bar without clutter. Exposed brick lines a wall. Locker cages above the bar hold trophies. A photo-opp area is nestled near a television. Its patio is a work in progress, but it’s got a nice minimalistic charm with colorful planters boxes. Landscaping with arborvitae is coming. Hanging string lights will be able to change colors to feature whatever theme the owners want, a la the Terminal Tower. It’s all about “curb appeal,” Pippin said. Not to mention sports. The city is riding the Cavs’ postseason run as summer nights to Progressive Field beckon fans for Guardians games. The Cleveland Monsters are in the playoffs. The Browns remain headline-grabbers year-round. But Cleveland also is in the running for women’s professional sports – notably, a WNBA team, and possibly a soccer team. The Greater Cleveland Sports Commission regularly brings in large-scale events, like last year’s Women’s Final Four. None of that is lost on Pippin. “Cavs, we’ve got WNBA season starting in May, we’ve got Guards going,” Pippin said. The inclusivity the bar strives for will offer a place for marginalized fans to enjoy a game. “Honestly,” co-owner Ally Eclarin said, “it feels like Christmas morning we’re so excited.” The W is in the former Banter space, which is refreshed and refurbished. “Everybody’s reaction has been ‘It doesn’t feel like Banter.’ We didn’t want to undo things that shouldn’t be undone,” she said. “But we also didn’t want to make people go, ‘Oh, I’m in the same place.’ ” The early menu includes nibbles like hand-sliced potato chips, panko-breaded imported mozzarella, vegetables and dip. A chicken sandwich and pulled-pork sliders are sandwich offerings, and a quartet of flatbreads - including one with Korean barbecue, mozzarella, shishito, caramelized onion, bacon and scallions – round out the menu. More than half a dozen beers are on draft, and pitchers are offered. Cans of beer, cider and non-alcoholic drinks also are available along with wine. “We’re excited to open, so excited to show the community what we’ve been doing the past few months,” Kopp said. I cover restaurants, drinks, sports-related and other topics on our life and culture team. For my recent stories, here’s a cleveland.com directory. WTAM-1100’s Bill Wills and I talk food and drink at 9:35 a.m. Tuesdays. Twitter and IG: @mbona30. To check out my books, go to marcbona.net. Want to know what’s going on in the weekend? Sign up for cleveland.com’s weekly “In the CLE” email newsletter. Also: Follow @DineDrinkCLE on Instagram.