Pickleball is the fastest growing sport in America, according to the Sport & Fitness Industry Association. Though it had been trending as a social, low-impact activity for the baby boomer and Gen X crowd, pickleball — a version of tennis that is more of a cross between badminton and ping-pong — has since morphed into a hot new pastime for the millennial and Gen Z population. Consequently, in order to cater to this growing fan base of the sport, there has been a recent rise of pickleball and restaurant/bar hybrid concepts expanding nationally. The leading brands that are expanding this pickleball/restaurant concept on a national level are Chicken N Pickle, Electric Pickle, Camp Pickle and Pickle and Social.
These pickleball/restaurant concepts tend to be new construction projects on vacant lots that can be between one and five acres. Many of the sought-after sites are within new entertainment-oriented, mixed-use developments in growing suburban areas with nearby offices, hotels and universities in close proximity to urban metro centers. Popular co-tenants generally include other family fun restaurant/entertainment concepts.
Landlords like the fact that pickleball venues ensure a wide age range of visitors, from children to senior citizens, at all hours of the day and evening. The pickleball experience taps into multiple customer interests, including fitness, dining and after work social party gatherings. Local pickleball leagues and tournament events are encouraged at these venues, guaranteeing a continuous customer base of players, their families and their extended friends as spectators.
Chicken N Pickle, one of the first brands to nationally expand this restaurant/pickleball hybrid concept, expects to open between 10 and 15 new units per year over the next five years. The brand is concentrating on growth throughout all large cities in the country, from California to Florida, that have a population of at least 600,000 in its MSA. Look for thriving suburb regions close to Denver, Austin, Atlanta, Tampa, Fla., Chicago and Washington, D.C., to all be eyed. Immediate growth is already set to take place in 2023 in the MSAs of Houston, Dallas, St. Louis and Las Vegas.
Chicken N Pickle looks for space in the one-acre range (not including parking) for its restaurant/pickleball units. Chicken N Pickle ideally looks to be an anchor tenant for mixed-use retail development projects. Co-tenants can include destination hotels, such as Great Wolf Lodge, offices, restaurants, especially entertainment-oriented brands such as Dave & Buster’s or Main Event, and retail shops that attract a wide range of customers, including IT’SUGAR. Chicken N Pickle serves chef-driven, responsibly raised chicken, in addition to pork and beef sandwiches in its restaurants, which feature multiple bars, beer gardens, outdoor tables, indoor and outdoor pickleball courts, as well as shuffleboard and bocce ball courts. Its venues can also host live events, such as concerts.
Electric Pickle is a new brand entrant in the pickleball/restaurant arena founded by Rockets & Pineapples LLC, an offshoot of the Eureka! Restaurant Group. The brand anticipates opening up to six new units per year over the next three to five years, beginning in 2023. Electric Pickle is targeting high-growth markets in the Sun Belt states. Its first units, expected to open in 2023, will be in South Tempe and Scottsdale, Ariz., as well as the suburbs just outside of both Austin and Las Vegas.
Electric Pickle seeks space between three and four acres, especially in new ground-up construction projects. The brand will also consider junior box space in the 20,000- to 30,000-s.f. range.
Preferred co-tenants are other dining/active entertainment concepts, such as Popstroke, Topgolf and Andretti Indoor Karting and Games. The ideal area should have a healthy mix of strong restaurant brands with high- traffic numbers. Sites should be within a rapidly growing community with a thriving sports and family element, incorporating a large demographic of college-educated residents with disposable income. Close proximity to a college town area is a plus. The Electric Pickle venues, which will resemble a contemporary farmhouse, will provide room for multiple pickleball courts, bars, a full-service restaurant and outdoor patio space, as well as open green fields for live concerts, fitness classes, and additional activities such as bocce ball and cornhole.
Camp Pickle, another new entrant in this category conceived of by the founder of Punch Bowl Social, has a goal of opening about three to six units per year over the next three to five years, beginning in 2024. The Southeast is targeted for immediate growth, especially large to mid-sized cities spanning from Texas to Florida, which will be followed by East Coast states spanning as far north as Maryland. The Midwest will also be eyed for expansion, especially all states between Minnesota and Pennsylvania, and the greater Denver market is being sought out. Its first unit will open in Huntsville, Ala., in 2024, followed by Centennial, Colo.
Camp Pickle looks for space in urban and municipally supported redevelopment districts. Four-to-five-acre land acquisition opportunities are ideal for its ground-up construction in which parking needs to be built; if parking (e.g., a parking deck) is already provided for, then two acres of land is sufficient. Camp Pickle will also consider 50,000- to 70,000-s.f. big-box retail or warehouse/industrial units, provided there is outdoor space included and an indoor area offering at least 16 feet height over its pickleball courts. Preferred co-tenants include regional retail and restaurant brands, large golf concepts such as Topgolf, climbing gyms such as Movement, breweries and sports facilities. The Camp Pickle appearance will incorporate a 1940s summer camp-like theme, complete with fire pits and tents, and will include a restaurant, a bar, and both indoor and outdoor pickleball courts. Other games will also be offered, such as shuffleboard, darts and horseshoes.
Pickle and Social, a more upscale restaurant/pickleball hybrid that will also include live music, has four upcoming venues in the works: two in the Atlanta suburbs of Buford and Alpharetta, Ga., anticipated to be completed in 2023; a unit in Scottsdale, set for 2024, and another unit expected at a still-undisclosed location in Florida. Expect new unit growth to be at a slower rate of about two to three units per year until 2026. Unconfirmed locations rumored to be in the running for new units include major markets in Southeast states, such as North Carolina, Alabama and Kentucky.
Conceived of by Competitive Social Ventures, the same team responsible for other large scale “eatertainment” concepts such as Fairway Social and Roaring Social, Pickle and Social sites will be on land up to five acres. The sites will ideally be in popular suburb entertainment destination developments near hotels and Class A office space, with co-tenants such as Topgolf and Andretti Indoor Carting and Games. Pickle and Social is also open to sites that are part of a hotel, or even former big-box stores. Its venues will include between six and eight indoor and outdoor pickleball courts, a full-service restaurant and bar lounge area with indoor/outdoor dining, a large green space for live musical performances, and room for cornhole and bocce ball courts.
