I went down the wikipedia rabbit hole and widows-as-tavern-owners was a fact that kept popping up. I found that curious. I know the legal status of married women was largely "absorbed" by their husbands, but unmarried women had some limited, practical rights such as the ability to sign contracts in their own name.
Taverns were becoming an increasingly democratic forum, with broadsides read, mail delivered, political issues (and dissent) discussed, and even some court sessions held. Similarly, I know some colonies were preoccupied with the moral hazard of taverns, to say nothing of the practical hazard of general rowdiness associated with the venue. Tavern ownership, as I understand it, was consequently viewed as a public responsibility and the owner requiring a large amount of public trust.
These two paragraphs contrast quite a bit. How were women practically allowed to fulfill this role given their social and legal limitations? How much "slack" were they cut in order to meaningfully manage a tavern? I'm familiar with social mores bending here and there out of necessity, but this is something more than a woman assuming responsibility for the family farm. I'm curious to hear more about the expectations and boundaries set for these women (e.g., what was their reputation?), any influence they might have held within their respective taverns, notable figures (if any), and really any miscellaneous commentary that could elucidate this practice.
EDIT: For more specificity: English colonies in America circa 18th century, mostly leading up (but not exclusive) to the American Revolution. I don't have a specific colony in mind though I had been reading about Boston's Green Dragon Tavern and the Mass. General Court. Since posting this I've been reading up a little more on New Hampshire's approach.
I think to understand this you need to expand you view of the role of married women in the urban economy. Widows could continue to own and run businesses established by their husbands, and also inherited rights to all property, especially real estate, after the deaths of their husbands. A widow of an urban tradesman in 18th-century British North America would inherit a small bit of real estate and often a pile of debts owed by her husband. She would have few opportunities for formal employment outside the home, but would have the household skills needed to brew beer and serve simple meals. In that context, it made economic sense for a widow to turn ground floor or front room of her house into a sort of small tavern. The local authorities seem to have understood that this preserved the urban fabric and kept a widow and her dependents from needing public charity. We should not assume that the view and attitudes of elites writers towards tavern culture are necessarily reflective of popular attitudes. That these establishments seem to have been well-attended and successful businesses suggests that elite concern for the "moral hazards" of taverns was not preoccupation for the patrons.
The above answer is summarized heavily from Nancy Struna's People of Prowess: Sport, Leisure and Labor in Early Anglo-America
I know the legal status of married women was largely "absorbed" by their husbands, but unmarried women had some limited, practical rights such as the ability to sign contracts in their own name.
I think it's important to distinguish between single women, and widowed women. Widows are not single, they are women who have been married. I suspect this meant they were seen very differently from an unmarried woman.
Especially as I vaguely recall that in the laws set out in the Old Testament, women were given powers of oath-taking (necessary for business) that were usually only given to men. And I tend to think of the colonial period as very puritan/Protestant influenced. But maybe I'm wrong about that?
You might want to specify a time frame and maybe be more accurate as to where this was.