Developers Embrace Passion for Pickleball

“If I have nine courts and the capacity is four per court but the project capacity is 600 people, we have to indulge them in great food, a great scene,” he said. “We call it hitting all the sensories.”

Eatertainment is particularly appealing now because customer wants have changed during the pandemic, with families seeking large gathering spaces for leisure time, said Seunghyun Park, an assistant professor in hospitality management at St. John’s University.

Eatertainment facilities may not be the most appealing locales for dedicated players, though. Pickleball’s demographics skew heavily toward retirees, and players have gained a reputation for being a prickly, territorial bunch.

Much like tennis, the sport can also seem exclusionary — some paddles cost more than $200. New York City is trying to accommodate demand for more courts but will not renovate over heavily used recreational space like basketball or handball courts, said Margaret Nelson, deputy commissioner for urban park service and public programs at the city’s Department of Parks and Recreation.

“We always try to balance,” she said. “People want to do a lot, and we have a finite amount of space.”

Some locations, like Rally in Charlotte, N.C., are hoping to challenge the belief that pickleball alone cannot anchor a business. Although Rally will include a food and beverage component, additional entertainment options are not on the menu.

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/06/14/business/pickleball-courts-private-development.html