Picklemall, an indoor pickleball concept, will open its first location in the Arizona Mills shopping mall in Tempe, AZ, in July 2023.
Picklemall said the location would be the “first of dozens” and anticipates opening 50 nationwide locations in the next 24 months. Planned locations include Minneapolis, Chicago, Milwaukee, Austin, Dallas, San Antonio, Oklahoma City, Tulsa, Madison and Bentonville, AR.
The concept is being led by CEO West Shaw and backed by financier and Major League Pickleball founder Steve Kuhn.
Picklemall also reported it would launch an app for customers to schedule a pickleball game, record performances and enhance skills. Players will use the Picklemall app to reserve a court, set a playtime and unlock the door to the Picklemall location. Inside the court, gameplay will be recorded on camera, allowing players to watch, analyze and learn from game footage in real-time.
Association of Pickleball Professionals, pickleball is the fastest-growing sport in the U.S., experiencing 35 percent growth. Once popular in retirement communities and with the 55 and older demographic, today, 72 percent of avid pickleball players are between 18 and 44.
“Pickleball is truly the Benjamin Button of sports,” Kuhn said. “Every year, the demographics for the sport get younger and younger. Pickleball has the opportunity to cross the barriers that divide us—age, race, class—to foster togetherness and spread joy to the communities in which Picklemall will reside. That starts with getting creative about location, and the future of pickleball is indoors.”
