“ We saw an opportunity to take a large, underutilized space in our community and transform it into something fun and meaningful,” says Julie Russo, who owns Pickle Paradise with her husband, Matt.
Julie adds that the building has a lot of memories for the pickleball players who used to watch movies there.“ One of our members recently told us that his first kiss occurred in a theater that was converted into our Championship Court # 7!”
BOUNCE PICKLE & PLAY IN BIDDEFORD, MAINE, HAS SIX INDOOR COURTS, A RESTAURANT, SPORTS BAR AND THREE GOLF SIMULATORS. PHOTO: RICHARD EVANS.
“ I feel you have to offer additional services to create a full experience. Blending hospitality with a facility, so a club is not dependent on one revenue stream, will improve financial performance and potentially bring more traffic to the facility.”
Another potential revenue stream comes from the rooms that many indoor clubs have for corporate groups and parties— spaces for pickleball players to enjoy more social interaction after they play.
Pickle Paradise – Elk River, Minnesota Pickle Paradise opened in September 2025, replacing a 17-screen theater that had been operating for nearly 35 years. The transformation involved converting approximately 24,000 square feet into seven pickleball courts.
Pickle Paradise has a lounge, event room, pool tables, dart boards, table tennis and other games. The Kitchen Counter serves protein smoothies, specialty coffees, beer, wine and snacks.
Bluff City Pickleball – Bartlett, Tennessee John Daniel and his wife, Leslie, own Bluff City Pickleball in this Memphis suburb.“ We wanted to do something for the community when we retired,” John, 71, says of the 30,000-square-foot club.
The facility opened in March 2024 with eight courts and one practice court.“ We wanted to improve the physical and mental well-being of our members. Profitability is secondary.”
While theaters are often good fits for pickleball courts, John notes that conversions can be costly.“ A movie theater has many more walls, hallways and corners, which make painting, acoustics, etc. more expensive than a former big-box retail store. There may be wasted square footage because of hallways, and entry areas can be larger than needed for a pickleball club.”
Other indoor pickleball clubs that have opened in former movie theaters include Newport Pickleball Club in Middletown, Rhode Island( 11 courts); RallyWell in Deland, Florida( seven courts); Northpark Pickleball in Oklahoma City( six indoor courts and six outdoor ones); and Eko Padel & Pickle in Miami, Florida( three pickleball and three padel courts).
PICKLE PARADISE IN ELK RIVER, MINNESOTA. CO-OWNER JULIE RUSSO SAYS,“ OUR VISION WAS ABOUT MORE THAN JUST BUILDING COURTS. WE WERE REALLY INTERESTED IN HELPING GROW THE LOCAL PICKLEBALL MARKET AND INTRODUCE NEW PEOPLE TO THE SPORT.” PHOTO BY JULIE RUSSO.
The worlds of pickleball and movies came together perfectly at CenterLine 33 on a Friday evening in July with an event that was the brainchild of the club’ s general manager, Marc Philobos. A big screen was set up, the public was invited, and the popcorn was free. More than 100 people gathered to watch a movie that had been released that day.
The film they were there to see?“ The Dink.” – Matthew Schwartz
SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2026 | MAGAZINE 37