Bryan Kiger has been eyeing Monroeville Mall’s former Ulta Beauty store space for a few years now.

“This corner anchor location is highly visible with ample free parking,” Kiger said of the 10,000 square-foot space. “It is an ideal location for indoor pickleball courts.”

The Monroeville resident, along with co-owner David Work, began a series of soft openings this month for their new venture in the former Ulta space: a pickleball facility they’ve dubbed Pickle Parlor.

The game of pickleball — a paddle sport that combines elements of tennis, table tennis and badminton – was invented in 1965 in Washington state. It became a such a popular sport in the Pacific Northwest that it was named the official state sport in Washington in 2022.

Pickleball has grown rapidly since the onset of the covid-19 pandemic. For three consecutive years — 2021 to 2023 — pickleball was the fastest-growing sport in the U.S., according to the Sports and Fitness Industry Association.

About 130 new pickleball courts are being added nationwide each month, according to USA Pickleball. But it’s not enough. The Sports and Fitness Industry Association estimates 25,000 courts need to be built to keep pace with the demand.

Converting properties and empty lots has become a strategy to fulfill that need. Many mall properties have struggled to remain viable, and some developers are utilizing empty retail space as new entertainment venues.

This effort is known as “adaptive reuse” – repurposing an existing structure for something other than its original use. Adaptive reuse aims to conserve local resources and drive economic revitalization while adding to the community it serves.

“There’s available retail space,” marketing specialist Debbie Iszauk said. “Malls are really embracing the idea of repurposing.”

After analyzing the market, Kiger realized there weren’t enough indoor pickleball courts. In fact, the Sports and Fitness Industry Association reported that the Mid-Atlantic region (Pennsylvania, New York and New Jersey) have the lowest pickleball court coverage, with one court for every 1,000 players.

Kiger also founded the Autism Employment Network and SpectroDolce Confectionary.

“With SpectroDolce being a part of the Monroeville Mall for the last three years, I’ve been interested in adding additional positive and community-based experiences,” Kiger said.

Pickle Parlor includes high-tech features such as secure 24/7 access, online and app-based court reservations, digital scoring, replay screens and Dynamic Universal Pickleball Rating integration. There are lounge seating and changing areas, as well as free locker space, house balls and paddles.

After testing different playing surfaces, Kiger settled on one that offers both a competitive playing experience but is a bit softer on the joints.

A variety of memberships plans, drop-in times and classes will be available through the app. Plans include booking time with a coach and hosting private events such as team-building sessions, birthday parties, pop-up events and tournaments.

“Every few years, people declare the end of the shopping mall. (I don’t) see malls going anywhere, just adapting to what customers want,” Kiger said. “We want Pickle Parlor to be a community hub for pickleball players in the eastern suburbs.”

Plans for the future of Pickle Parlor have not changed since the mall was purchased by Walmart earlier this month, Iszauk said,

“There has been no communication on that,” he said. “We’re focused on today, tomorrow and next week. We’re doing all of the things to make Pickle Parlor comfortable and affordable for the community.”

For more information, contact info@pickleparlor.net or visit pickleparlor.net.

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