Alcohol brand Brutal Fruit Spritzer launched its first women-only pop-up bar on Wednesday at RockerFella in Soweto.
The brand created the pop-up bar called SheBeen with the aim to create a comfortable space for women and for them to be their authentic selves.
Soon after the launch, pictures from the event quickly went viral, gathering negative comments across social media platforms.
Many people commented that the bar will not make any profits since it is known to be men who are the big money spenders at drinking establishments, while some noted that South African men will camp outside the bar with their cooler boxes.
“Nice, but it is a weird idea, they don’t know about oestrogen. Also, if I know South African men, they are just gonna camp outside the gate with cooler boxes and stuff waiting for the score to come out so they can go to a better place when ladies’ outing is over,” wrote one user.
“It won’t last. They are going to drag each other and call each other names. I can already imagine the rude stares and the snarky comments about outfits and hair. Soon gents will be allowed.
“And there’s also those who are allergic to paying their way, ai no, it won’t work”, commented a second user.
A third wrote: “Clearly making money isn’t their priority because women are stingy… they should also rename it to ‘the fight club’.”
While most people thought the pop-up bar was a bad idea, some said it was a good thing.
One user wrote: “I truly wish to see more women-only bars across South Africa. Even though I feel like places like that will be a target spot for men who do wrong things.”
Another user wrote: “This is a brilliant idea where girls just want to be girls.”
In a statement to media, acting head of the brand at Brutal Fruit Spritzer, Candice van den Bosch, said they were mindful of the importance of creating spaces where women can feel free to celebrate and have fun in an uninhibited way.
“A play on the word shebeen, this venue is in response to the call of many South African women who often fear going out at night to have some fun.
“SheBeen is an elegant, women-only, and female-centric venue that will be inclusive and accessible to all women in Gauteng during the month of August, in celebration of National Women’s Month.
“The establishment of SheBeen was born out of our brand proposition of ‘You Belong’, which seeks to promote women’s joy, belonging, and freedom, without any hesitation or interference,” said Van den Bosch.
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