Chicago, Illinois — Ask any pickleballer what the kitchen is, and they’ll tell you it’s the 7ft (2.1-metre) nonvolley zone on either side of the net - and why you should stay out of it. But restaurateurs and investors hope the general public will come to associate pickleball with a more literal kitchen - one serving food before, during and after the game. The pickleball court is no longer only for before lunch or after dinner.
In recent years, pickleball "eatertainment" venues have taken off alongside eatertainment venues as a whole, an industry that Rex Reservations estimates at $120bn globally. What is an eatertainment concept? It’s a venue where patrons come to participate in an activity - bowling, golf simulators, axe throwing, pickleball, darts - while ordering food and drinks.
Think TopGolf or Lucky Strike. Pickleball was the fastest-growing sport in the United States from 2022 to 2025, according to the Sports & Fitness Industry Association, with participation rising by 171.8 percent. Last year, 24.3 million Americans played pickleball, a 22.8 percent increase from 2024.
Ease of play, low barrier to entry and the low-impact nature of the sport are frequently cited as reasons for its popularity. And those same reasons are what make pickleball attractive to more casual players who may be intimidated by their local leagues but find an eatertainment venue to be the perfect speed.
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