A joint venture partnership between real estate developer Hubbard Street Group and athletic club owner/operator College Park Athletic Club is announcing Pickle Haus, a sports-themed entertainment venue and eatery, and the first of what initially is targeted to be as many as five Pickleball themed destinations in the Chicago area.
The first Chicago area Pickle Haus will be at 1621 S. Randall Road in northwest suburban Algonquin. Construction will get underway shortly to transform the 41,000-square-foot former furniture store into a Class A sports “eatertainment” facility. A November opening is planned.
Pickle Haus will feature 12 indoor pickleball courts, three golf simulators, a substantial bar/entertainment/event space and an outdoor patio. The restaurant and bar portion of the facility, including a custom menu, has been designed by Sheamus Feeley of Family Is Food, formerly a Featured Chef at the prestigious James Beard House and part of the James Beard Celebrity Chef Tour.
Pickle Haus will appeal to a broad audience, including pickleball enthusiasts, novices as well as friends, families and couples looking for a unique, fun night out. Guests of all ages and skill levels can rent a court, join a league, take a lesson or host an event at the venue’s restaurant and bar. Given the rapid growth in popularity of the sport, Pickle Haus leagues, and tournaments will cater to competitive pickleball players.
Pickleball, which originated in 1965, has been the fastest growing sport in the U.S. for the last three years with an estimated 36.5 million players in 2022. In the U.S., the sport grew at an 85.7% rate between 2021 and 2022. Globally, based on equipment and apparel revenue alone, pickleball is projected to be a $2.4 billion sport and entertainment sector by 2028, representing a 10.4% compounded annual growth rate.
When transformed, Pickle Haus will feature:
- 12 regulation pickleball courts and three golf simulators in a 41,000-square-foot area,
- five courts will have courtside cabanas for small private gatherings and food service,
- a 1,500-square-foot event space,
- a restaurant and bar area,
- a fully equipped, institutional quality kitchen, and
- a 1,925-square-foot outdoor patio for lawn games and additional event space.
The venue’s event space can accommodate gatherings ranging from intimate birthday parties to large corporate events that reserve the entire facility. Other guests may choose to reserve one of the golf simulators, enjoy a drink on the patio, or sample signature cocktails, wines and local beers that complement a menu headlined by pizzas, among other items.
The principals of Hubbard Street Group have completed more than $3.5 billion in projects, including experiential retail, mixed-use and entertainment developments. College Park Athletic Club was launched in 1978 and at its peak owned and operated eight clubs in three Midwest states including two in Illinois. VanDixhorn, who joined the club in 1995, later sold all but the Bannockburn and Lincolnshire clubs which College Park continues to own and operate. Approximately 15 years ago VanDixhorn founded Club Automation, an innovative technology platform to help manage athletic club business operations.
Hubbard Street Group has owned the vacant building since 2018. It was originally developed in 2008 for Dania Furniture. Before the pandemic the building was leased to a national fitness center chain and interior buildout was underway. However, the fitness center filed for bankruptcy and never occupied the building.
The development team consists of Hubbard Street Group, College Park Athletic Club, Food Is Family, Harken Interior Design, Hirsch MPG, William A. Randolph Construction, Greenberg Traurig and Phlox Partners.