The Picklr, the indoor pickleball franchise, is reported to have opened a facility in the Eldorado Plaza in McKinney, TX.
“We are thrilled to welcome The Picklr to Eldorado Plaza and capitalize on the strong wave of interest in pickleball,” said Whitestone REIT COO, Christine Mastandrea. “When looking to fill the former Bed, Bath and Beyond space, we wanted to partner with an exciting brand that is benefiting from the health and fitness trend and draws traffic to the center, and that’s exactly what The Picklr will do. No sport brings people together quite like Pickleball.”
Anchored by Trader Joe’s, Starbucks, Hollywood Feed, and Christina’s Mexican Restaurant, The Picklr adds a key category, athletics, to the lineup of businesses in Eldorado Plaza.
The Picklr announced that it would open 38 new clubs in the U.S., with 52 additional leases in final negotiations for openings in 2024 and 2025. In February 2024, former NFL Quarterback Drew Brees was named Brand Ambassador and an investor along with an owner/area developer of 20 Picklr franchises. The Picklr also announced a strategic partnership with Pickleball, Inc., aligning two of the largest businesses in the sport with plans to drive franchise growth and new memberships at Picklr locations.
Whitestone purchased Eldorado Plaza in 2017, which reported benefits from an average three-mile household income of $140,000. In 2023, Whitestone recaptured the remaining Bed Bath and Beyond lease during the company’s bankruptcy process to advance its “Quality of Revenue initiative” by selecting a high-demand franchise to occupy the space. The change benefits Whitestone’s revenue from the space and is anticipated to accelerate Eldorado’s growth.
“McKinney is experiencing explosive growth,” Mastandrea continued. “Surrounded by Frisco, Allen and Plano, the entire area continues to benefit from being a very business-friendly environment and steadily attracts companies and young families.”
Whitestone REIT is a community-centered real estate investment trust (REIT) that acquires, owns, operates, and develops open-air retail centers in fast-growing markets in the Phoenix, Austin, Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, and San Antonio metro areas.
