Over 5 years ago in one of their pool teams games Marty Kildea and Laurie Whittaker realized that South Florida was missing a true sports bar for gay men and women. “Most of my friends and family thought we were crazy as they said gay people aren’t into sports” says Laurie, “but after months of conversation and brainstorming Marty and I decided to take the leap of faith to realize our dreams and Sidelines Sports Bar was born”. Laurie’s life partner (they just renewed their vows on their 30th anniversary a few months ago) Jennifer Morales, was brought in to help out with the marketing and Sidelines quickly became one of the “it” hangouts in South Florida.
Over 5 years ago in one of their pool teams games Marty Kildea and Laurie Whittaker realized that South Florida was missing a true sports bar for gay men and women. “Most of my friends and family thought we were crazy as they said gay people aren’t into sports” says Laurie, “but after months of conversation and brainstorming Marty and I decided to take the leap of faith to realize our dreams and Sidelines Sports Bar was born”. Laurie’s life partner (they just renewed their vows on their 30th anniversary a few months ago) Jennifer Morales, was brought in to help out with the marketing and Sidelines quickly became one of the “it” hangouts in South Florida.
Over the years Sidelines has given back to the community and to many charities, however, their biggest outreach over the last few years has been to raise money for the Florida AIDS Walk in which they are one of the major sponsors. “Our community has lost so many loved ones, family and friends, so putting an end to the threat of AIDS in Florida is vital to us. That’s the main reason we work so hard for this important cause,” stated Marty.
Recently Sidelines has gone through a renovation which included a complete painting of the building (inside and out), new bar stools, and installing an outdoor smoking patio. “We came to recognize that in order to sustain economic health and continue to grow, we must evolve and change. So, after months of deliberation, and many discussions with staff, loyal patrons, and business-minded folks, we decided to “bring a breath of fresh air” to Sidelines! I made this decision for business reasons, not personal ones”, joked Laurie (Laurie herself is a smoker). “By giving Sidelines a bit of a “nip & tuck,” our goal was to gain even more business, sustain ourselves in this seemingly slumped economy, and grow our future business with confidence.”
In the almost 5 short years Sidelines has been open it has already left its mark on the gay history of Fort Lauderdale. Visitors come to Wilton Manors from all across the country, in fact the world, and discover this unique gay sports bar that is like no other. Whether Sports is your thing or you just like watching hunky guys in tight outfits on their 16 flat screen TV’s Marty, Laurie and Jennifer have made Sidelines Sports Bar a fun place to go where making new friends or having fun with old friends is the secret to their success.
Laurie, Marty and Jennifer would like to invite the entire community to help them celebrate Sidelines Sports Bar’s 5th anniversary, this weekend Thursday, May 12 through Saturday May 14th.
