A pickleball and restaurant venue is aiming to open in December, giving Lincoln the kind of pickleball-related business that has become popular in other cities.
Let’s Pickle will be located at the Edgewood Shopping Center near 56th Street and Nebraska Parkway and will include pickleball courts and food service. Chadwick Fisher, the soon-to-be manager of Let’s Pickle, is a partner at other restaurants, including Hiro 88 and Catalyst, as well as a pickleball fan.Â
He said he took notice of pickleball's increasing popularity in the city.
“We just realized there was kind of a need in Lincoln for something indoors that offers the food and beverage side of everything for the pickleball players,†Fisher said.
Let’s Pickle will have six indoor pickleball courts, a bar and dining space, Fisher said. Additionally, the restaurant will have a patio, event space and merchandise.
The venue hopes to have leagues and tournaments along with open reservations for courts, Fisher said. The restaurant will aim to attract new players, corporate events and serious players. Fisher said it could serve as a place for a night out.
Tentatively, Fisher said Let’s Pickle’s hours during the week would be from about 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. and go later during the weekend.
Fisher said he started playing pickleball after a random night when one of his neighbors pulled out a net. He said it was a bit addictive and he started playing more often.
“We take trips down to Kansas City or other places to play at some of these pickleball restaurants and indoor facilities,†Fisher said. “And that's where the idea sparked that we needed to bring some to Lincoln.â€
There were 61 locations with pickleball courts in Nebraska in 2023, according to . Nationally there are almost 12,000 locations. That number is growing, with about 1,000 new locations added in 2023.
Many pickleball courts are in parks and sports centers. Courts with food service are a newer option for pickleball’s growing number of players.
Pickleball has already been moving into the restaurant scene in Nebraska. In Omaha, Blue Sky has two pickleball courts, live music and food. Philip Schaffart owns Blue Sky and several other restaurants in Nebraska.
“We're pretty interested in what's called competitive socializing,†Schaffart said. “Where people want to participate in something while they're also enjoying themselves with the beer or food.â€
Schaffart played pickleball before opening Blue Sky but was initially surprised by the different levels of interest people had in the restaurant.
“I was pretty surprised when we opened, not only the interest in the game, but also there's a group of people who take it very seriously,†Schaffart said. “Which is awesome. And there's a group of people who are in it more for just the fun and entertainment.â€
Blue Sky has an online booking system and leagues to determine matches and cater to customers with different mindsets about playing.
Jane Cech has steadily played pickleball for about 10 years and taught pickleball in her physical education class when she was a teacher at Lefler Middle School. She said there is a need in Lincoln for indoor pickleball courts.
“At some point you've got to come inside and play in Nebraska,†Cech said.
Cech said Let’s Pickle is a great opportunity because of the indoor courts and could host leagues or tournaments in the future.
“That'll be great for the community, to be able to offer those things,†Cech said. “Along with the ability just to reserve a court for you and your friends or family or whoever you're going to play with.â€