HOUSTON — Pickleball is an old sport exploding in popularity with courts and leagues popping up all over Houston. It’s also the fastest-growing sport in America.
FM Kitchen operating partner Jason Mok, a former Rice University tennis player, discovered pickleball during a trip to Austin. For those unfamiliar with the sport, it combines elements of tennis, badminton, and ping pong. Played either one-on-one or two-on-two, the smaller, badminton-sized court makes it relatively easy to learn and promotes social interaction between the players. Those aspects all appealed to Mok.
Now you can find pickleball courts indoors and out, from purely recreational ones where alcohol is sold, to those for the most competitive and serious players. And there are more courts in the works coming to life in the next year, like Chicken N Pickle and PKL SOCIAL.
The owners of FM Kitchen & Bar recently broke ground on their PKL Social concept at 1102 Shepherd Drive and expect to open it this summer. The new concept will be next door to FM Kitchen & Bar’s location a block north of Washington Avenue.
Located at 1102 Shepherd Drive, PKL Social will open this fall, featuring four pickleball courts available on a pay-to-play basis, a covered deck space available for private events, various yard games, cabanas, big-screen TVs, and more than 10,000 square feet of dog-friendly patio space. The bar will also feature various sports leagues, clinics, and drop-in times for players to “open-play,” compete, and network with each other.
