Franchisor and indoor court facility provider Ace Pickleball Club is set to launch another facility in 2024, this time in the Uptown Solon, Ohio, location previously occupied by Bed Bath & Beyond.
The facility, spanning 40,000 square feet, will boast what the newsletter describes as the finest available pickleball courts, along with state-of-the-art technology.
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Ace Pickleball Club’s anticipated reopening of the vacant Bed Bath & Beyond anchor store is now scheduled to become a franchise in the middle of next year.
This transition is part of a series of leasing agreements currently in progress for the Solon strip center, following its acquisition by United Growth Capital Management LLC for $10.1 million in 2021, according to cleveland.com.
Sky Zone Trampoline Parks
In alignment with the practices of a new owner, United Growth is making adjustments to the tenant lineup in the Solon shopping center to align with its operational philosophy. This strategic move aligns with Ace Pickleball Club, which emerged as a franchising entity in February, led by the group that previously introduced Sky Zone Trampoline Parks to the public.
Diego Pacheco, Ace’s Chief Growth Officer, emphasized the significance of real estate in this venture, stating, “We knew real estate’s the answer to everything here.” He stressed the importance of building relationships with people who share the vision and recognize the potential benefits for their assets, as well as the increased foot traffic for co-tenants.
An Istrumental Figure
For Ace, Matt Bakke, a Senior Vice President at United Growth, emerged as one of those instrumental figures, according to Pacheco. The connection was forged over a casual meeting, as Pacheco recalled, “Matt and I had just met for coffee.” Remarkably, within 48 hours, leasing terms were being finalized for the Ace Pickleball location in Solon.
T.K. Herman, co-owner of the pickleball club franchise in Solon, along with business partner Scott Howard, was another pivotal figure in this endeavor. Pacheco noted that Herman played a key role as one of the initial franchisees of Sky Zone Trampoline Park.
The former Bed Bath & Beyond site, described as a “perfect white box,” boasts a ceiling height of nearly 20 feet, rendering it well-suited for accommodating 13 indoor pickleball courts, as confirmed by Howard during an interview.
Recreational Franchise Experience
Kevin Moss, a First Vice President at CBRE in Cleveland, facilitated the leasing process for both Herman’s initial trampoline park franchise in South Bend, Indiana, and the Ace Pickleball location in Solon.
Pacheco emphasized the efficiency of the process, stating, “Within a few days of getting the information from Moss, we were signing a [letter of intent] and moving on the lease.”
He further highlighted the unique expertise of the Ace team, stating, “We’re the only team in the industry right now that has the recreational franchise experience.”
This informed approach prioritizes the identification of optimal real estate opportunities for these innovative concepts, placing real estate at the forefront of their strategic considerations.
