Picklr anticipates spring opening in Oro Valley | News

A “huge pickleball presence” in Oro Valley is among several reasons The Picklr plans to open an 11-court indoor facility at Oro Valley Marketplace, according to franchisee Greg Larsen.

The Utahn points to Northwest Tucson’s snowbird population, Oro Valley’s proximity to Tucson and its suburbs, and a corporate and technology business presence “that will sustain a business like the Picklr.

“Our radius is a 15- to 20-minute drive,” Larsen said. From the Marketplace location at Tangerine and Oracle roads, that drive reaches into the Catalina Foothills, SaddleBrooke and Northeast Marana.

“That’s one of the reasons Oro Valley was appealing to us,” he said. “It’s close enough to downtown Tucson, but also captures some of those suburbs with disposable income. They fit our target market.”

The Picklr, a pickleball franchise company based in Kaysville, Utah, has entered a 10-year lease to open a 30,000-square-foot operation within the former Best Buy building at 11855 N. Oracle.

“We’re not going anywhere,” Larsen said of the decade-long lease term.

The Picklr expects to open this spring. It intends to create 11 full-sized pickleball courts, one of them championship-sized, with locker rooms, private event space, and “all the amenities,” Larsen said.

“We’ll have a fully stocked pro shop with national partners,” he continued. “Any pickleball accessories” — paddles, balls, shoes, equipment, supplements, drinks, bags, and more — will be sold on site.

Tenant improvement plans are being submitted to the town of Oro Valley during January. Larsen anticipates 10-12 weeks for court construction, wall painting, lighting, and other improvements. “It takes some time for us to build that.”

He is hoping to open in April, “right when it starts to get hot. We think we’ve got the timing right.” While the opening might align with the onset of summertime heat, The Picklr’s business is “definitely year-round,” Larsen said.

“There is a strong preference from the avid pickleball player to play in a controlled environment,” he said. It’s not just heat; wind, rain and cold are elements to escape. “It’s really a year-round community where players go to play with other players, get better, drill and practice and train.”

The Picklr uses “a very, very high-end court surfacing” product that appeals to serious players, he said.

“Our court surface is as high quality as an outdoor court,” Larsen said. “The avid, serious player will always play on an outdoor surface, even if it’s indoor. We’ll offer an outdoor experience indoors.”

Anticipated hours are 6 a.m.-midnight daily. Two employees are in the building at any time. Larsen expects to hire about 20 people, many of them part-time. Among those workers is a club coordinator, “who is going to be the lifeblood of the facility,” and five instructors offering lessons.

“It is a very community sport,” Larsen said. “It’s like family, they’re going to know you. That’s one thing we don’t ever want to lose, valuing the community.”

The company opened in 2021, and is now the largest indoor pickleball company in the country. It springs from Utah, where the sport is wildly popular. As of the new year, The Picklr has 27 locations, with plans to reach triple figures in the years ahead.

The Oro Valley location would be the fifth in Arizona for the company; others are in Tempe, Scottsdale, Peoria, and Mesa. The Scottsdale and Tempe locations, for two, “have almost sold out of their memberships pre-opening,” Larsen said.

Monthly and “unlimited” annual memberships are available. With an unlimited membership, “you have access to everything our facility provides,” Larsen said, to include open play reservations, specific time reservations, access to leagues and tournaments, four free guest passes per month and four free clinics per month.

“When we say unlimited, we really mean unlimited,” he said. “We don’t charge you a court fee. It’s not a nickel and dime experience.”

Oro Valley pre-opening membership sales may begin by the end of January. That can “allow people to sign up before we open, to guarantee them the best possible pricing,” Larsen said. A Picklr membership gives the holder access to any Picklr location. And The Picklr controls its membership numbers, reducing court wait times and resulting in “a more catered experience,” Larsen said. 

 Guests can sign up for the Picklr’s newsletter and follow it on social media. 

“There are a lot of places we could have done it in Tucson,” Larsen said. “We found a really good partner in TownWest,” owner of the Marketplace. “We found it was the most advantageous place, both for us and the local membership.

“We’re just excited to be a part of the Oro Valley community,” Larsen said. “We can’t get there soon enough.”