• by Teresa Buyikian , December 5, 2023

Pickleball is EVERYWHERE. Whether you’re a seasoned expert or have mixed feelings about the badminton/ping pong/tennis amalgamation (as this instructor does, calling it “a scam” on TikTok) there’s no denying that with almost 9 million players in the U.S. (an increase from 4.8 million in 2022), pickleball is here to stay.

So it’s no surprise restaurants and investors have jumped on the pickleball trend. Rather than gym smoothie bars, though, these businesses have emerged with large footprints and menus highlighting high quality crafted food and drink

Chicken N Pickle was founded in 2016 and is currently operating nine locations nationwide, with plans for 20 additional units in the next two years, according to the company. The company’s locations report serving 700,000 visitors a year each. The restaurant complexes feature as many as 12 pickleball courts, a lawn/performance/picnic space, a casual restaurant, sports bar and private dining/entertaining spaces for events.

Pickle Haüs, which refers to itself as “an entertainment venue and eatery,” recently announced its grand opening in Algonquin, Illinois in November. According to the announcement, the 41,000 square-foot “eatertainment” destination “will redefine the pickleball experience for enthusiasts and newcomers alike,” combining 12 indoor pickleball courts with a restaurant, bar, two golf simulators, private event space and an outdoor dining patio. Partners include sports equipment brand Joola USA, Wilson Sporting Goods, Chicago locals Backlot Coffee and West Town Bakery and Full Swing golf simulators.

Earlier this year Punch Bowl Social founder Robert Thompson announced he had "unlocked" a total of $200 million for development of the Camp Pickle flagship location set to open in 2024 in Centennial, Colorado. Investors include mall operator The Simon Property Group and “pickleball-friendly” VC firms such as Good Alpha, as well as restaurant industry veterans Steve King, the former CEO of Dave & Buster’s. Camp Pickle will also include a “from-scratch kitchen food-and-beverage operation which is expected to account for about 80% of sales.”

Other emerging chains include Smash Park, which has four locations with an emphasis on alcoholic drinks and “scratch-driven food” as well as a wide range of other activities such as axe throwing, party darts and shuffleboard. Electric Pickle has plans for several more locations, including one in Las Vegas set to open during the fourth quarter of 2024.

As the sport’s popularity only appears to increase, the success of these new “eatertainment” venues seems to be anything but “pickled” (slang for a zero-scoring, losing team).

Communications executive Marcia Simon, who also runs Friendly Group Travel, only began playing pickleball a year ago, but now plans pickleball-themed resort vacations. Regarding the appeal of the pickleball restaurant trend, she calls “these places great for multigenerational activities… [which] also keeps people at the place longer -- which is good for the restaurant and bar side of the business.”