Pickleball, a sport that's gaining in popularity all across the country, found its way to North Kansas City.
Chicken N Pickle is a new entertainment venue with pickleball as the centerpiece.
"We thought this would be the next perfect step for pickleball," said Andy Gensch, the resident pro at Chicken N Pickle.
The venue combines four outdoor and four indoor pickleball courts with a bar, food trucks and a soon-to-open restaurant. That's where the chicken part comes in.
"This is certainly a first of its kind in Kansas City, certainly a first of its kind in the U.S., in terms of focusing on this sport with dedicated courts," said Gensch.
So what is pickleball?
"Pickleball is kind of a mixture between tennis and ping pong," said Kellen Mumm, Chicken N Pickle's VP of operations.
With courts that are smaller than tennis courts and a ball that's more like a wiffle ball, it's a game that's uniquely its own.
"People either don't know what pickleball is or they love pickleball and they can't stop playing it," said Mumm.
An estimated 2 million Americans now play it somewhere, with the game being especially popular among the senior crowd.
"A lot of people who played tennis or do play tennis gravitate towards it because it's not as much sprinting. It's better on your knees," said Mumm.
Chicken N Pickle opens on Friday. Courts can be reserved for $40 an hour. For more information click here.
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Justin Wilfon can be reached at justin.wilfon@kshb.com.
