The Pickle Bar

What The Pickle Bar does

The Pickle Bar operates a single 40,000+ sq/ft hospitality and recreation venue in Summerville, South Carolina, combining a southern-inspired casual restaurant and sports bar with nine outdoor pickleball courts (four covered, five uncovered). Founded in 2021 within the Nexton 4,500-acre master-planned community, the venue serves a broad consumer base spanning pickleball players of all skill levels, restaurant patrons, private event hosts, families, and charity organizations through integrated offerings that include open play, leagues, tournaments, lessons, dining, live entertainment, and branded merchandise.

The business generates revenue across seven streams: hourly court reservations priced $16–$32 by time slot and coverage, food and beverage sales via a chef-driven southern menu, a $24/month Pickle Pass subscription for unlimited open play, private lessons at $35–$100 per person per hour, branded merchandise (apparel, drinkware, JOOLA paddles), private event rentals across four configurable spaces (Private Dining Room 35–40, Main Dining Room ~100, The Yard 100–120, Patio 30–50), and charity tournament partnerships with Pickleball Charleston. Distribution operates through walk-in dining, online ordering via ToastTab, a proprietary iOS/Android app powered by the Play by Point booking platform, phone reservations, and an on-site retail store. Strategic partners include JOOLA (equipment), DUPR (player rating system), R.T. Provisions (specialty foods), Play by Point (booking technology), and Pickleball Charleston (charity).

The Pickle Bar is privately held and founder-owned by Pat Duncan, Alisa Tolliver, and Tina Piscazzi, with executive leadership that includes Executive Chef Roger Thomas (with James Beard Foundation ties, French apprenticeship under Michel Pasquet, and multiple prior 'Best Restaurant' awards) and Director of Pickleball Ivan Besancon (a 5.0-rated player, former Division I tennis athlete at Mercer, and prior operator who scaled pickleball membership to 300+ active players at Lake Norman Racquet & Social Club). Total disclosed funding is approximately $814,719 across two rounds ($250,000 in February 2023 and $564,719 in January 2026), with no institutional investors identified in the source material.

Name

The Pickle Bar

Legal name

The Pickle Bar

Website

https://thepicklebar.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Pickle Bar operates a single 40,000+ sq/ft venue in Summerville, SC, combining a southern-inspired restaurant and sports bar with nine pickleball courts, offering courts, dining, lessons, leagues, tournaments, and private events to a consumer audience.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Pickleball Entertainment Venue

NAICS

Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) (722410), Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers (713940)

SIC

Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Neighborhood & Sports Bars (THAFAEAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Gaming Café/Bar Hybrid Venues (Food & Beverage + Competitive Play) (MPAFALAD), Pickleball Equipment & Accessories Retail (CRAMAFAB)

Keywords

• Pickleball court rentals
• Casual dining restaurant
• Sports bar venue
• Private event hosting
• Pickleball instruction

Headquarters

HQ city

Charleston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Food & Beverage Sales: Southern-inspired restaurant and sports bar serving a diverse menu including appetizers, burgers, sandwiches, salads, wraps, kids' menu, cocktails, draft beer, wine, and soft drinks. Kitchen hours vary by day, with brunch service on weekends.
2. Court Reservations: Hourly court rental fees for 9 outdoor pickleball courts (4 covered, 5 uncovered). Priced by prime vs non-prime time slots. No membership required—pay-per-use model.
3. Open Play Pass (Pickle Pass): Monthly subscription for unlimited open play sessions at $24/month
4. Pickleball Lessons: Private and group lessons taught by certified pickleball professionals including Head Pro Ivan Besancon
5. Merchandise Sales: Branded merchandise including T-shirts, hoodies, tanks, hats, drinkware, paddles, pickleball equipment, and bags sold through on-site retail store
6. Private Events: Venue rental for private events including birthday parties, business meetings, team building, and holiday parties in multiple spaces (Private Dining Room, Main Dining Room, The Yard, Patio)
7. Charity Tournaments: Partnership with Pickleball Charleston to host charity tournaments benefiting local causes

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Pickle Bar operates a 40,000+ sq/ft integrated venue in Summerville, SC that combines 9 outdoor pickleball courts (4 covered, 5 uncovered) with a southern-inspired full-service restaurant and sports bar. The venue sells court rentals, professional lessons and clinics, seasonal leagues, competitive tournaments, casual dining, live music programming, private events, a kids pickleball program, branded merchandise, and gift cards under one roof, served by an award-winning culinary team.

Product overview

The Pickle Bar is a single-location restaurant, sports bar, and pickleball recreation complex spanning 40,000+ sq/ft in Summerville, SC. The integrated offering combines a southern-inspired casual restaurant and bar with 9 outdoor pickleball courts (4 covered, 5 uncovered), a game yard, stage, and multiple private event spaces. The core business operates as a unified hospitality and recreation concept where guests can dine, drink, play pickleball, attend live music performances, and host private events. Supporting the core experience, the company offers branded merchandise (apparel, drinkware, paddles, equipment, bags), structured pickleball programming (lessons, clinics, leagues, tournaments including the Pickle Bar Masters), a mobile app for court booking, and a charitable tournament program. There is no modular software platform—the product is a single physical-location hospitality and sports entertainment venue.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Restaurant and Bar Service Southern-inspired casual full-service restaurant and sports bar featuring shareables, sandwiches, bowls, salads, and wood-fired pizza, paired with a craft beer, wine, and cocktail program; available to dine-in guests, with online to-go ordering through ToastTab.
• Pickleball Court Rentals Hourly rental of 9 outdoor pickleball courts (4 covered, 5 uncovered) reserved through the Play by Point platform and proprietary iOS/Android apps; available to players at all skill levels.
• Pickle Pass Monthly Subscription Monthly subscription pass providing members unlimited access to open-play pickleball sessions at the venue; the primary subscription offering marketed to frequent local players.
• Pickleball Lessons and Clinics Professional pickleball instruction delivered as private lessons, group lessons, and clinics for beginners through advanced players, led by qualified pickleball staff including the Director of Pickleball.
• Pickleball Leagues Structured seasonal pickleball leagues that pair teams over multiple weeks of regular match play, providing competitive recurring participation for skill-rated players.
• Pickleball Tournaments Competitive pickleball tournament events hosted at the venue, providing paid registration, bracketed competition, and prize structures for skilled players across formats.
• Pickle Bar Masters Tournament Flagship annual tournament of The Pickle Bar, a competitive pickleball event offering a $10,000 prize purse that anchors the venue's competitive programming calendar.
• Charity Tournaments Charity pickleball tournaments hosted in partnership with nonprofits and organizations such as Pickleball Charleston, directing event proceeds and visibility toward specific community causes.
• Private Event Hosting Bookable private event packages at The Pickle Bar for birthdays, weddings, corporate gatherings, and other group functions, combining courtside recreation, full-service dining, bar service, and live entertainment.
• Live Music Entertainment Recurring live music programming featured on-site several nights per week, transforming the venue into an evening entertainment destination alongside its restaurant and bar offerings.
• Kids Pickleball Programs Structured pickleball programs designed for children, including clinics, lessons, and play sessions aimed at introducing youth to the sport and developing their skills, paired with co-located family dining.
• Weekly Pickleball Activities Recurring weekly drop-in pickleball sessions and themed activities (including ladies' nights and similar social sessions) hosted on the venue's courts for drop-in participation.
• Merchandise Store On-site retail store selling branded pickleball merchandise including branded paddles, apparel, pickleball equipment, pickleball bags, and drinkware, plus gift cards redeemable at the venue.
• Gift Cards Gift cards redeemable across the venue's restaurant, bar, pickleball, retail, and event offerings, enabling gifting of the full range of The Pickle Bar's experiences.

Quantifiable outcome

• Raised over $50,000 for local charities in the past year through pickleball tournaments

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• JoolacoreTechnology or IntegrationJoola is a pickleball equipment partner providing paddles and gear. The Pickle Bar sells JOOLA Ben Johns Hyperion C2 CFS 16 Pickleball Paddles ($199.95) and Joola Tour Elite Duffle Bags in their store, indicating a product partnership.
• DUPRcoreTechnology or IntegrationDUPR (Dynamic Universal Pickleball Rating) is the global pickleball rating system used at The Pickle Bar. They require DUPR ratings for many programs and host DUPR-rated sessions monthly.
• R.T. ProvisionscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerR.T. Provisions supplies specialty food items featured throughout the menu including R.T.'s pickle spears, R.T.'s Relish, R.T.'s Hot Sauce, R.T.'s Gold BBQ, White BBQ, Red BBQ, and various signature sauces and marinades.
• Play by PointcoreTechnology or IntegrationPlay by Point provides the court booking platform powering The Pickle Bar's online reservation system, website court booking integration, and mobile app functionality for managing court time, leagues, and programs.
• Pickleball CharlestoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Pickleball Charleston to host charity tournaments. They've helped raise over $50,000 in the past year for local charities including Meals on Wheels, Burned Children's Fund, Project Purple, and ECCO.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Pickle Social: Pickle Social combines pickleball courts with a bar and restaurant offering in a social-venue format. The Pickle Bar competes with Pickle Social directly for pickleball players who also want a dining and drinks experience.
• Flight Club (Darts): Flight Club operates darts-focused competitive social venues with full bars, food, and private event spaces. It is comparable to The Pickle Bar as a hybrid competitive-recreation + sports-bar concept monetizing through gameplay fees, F&B, and event bookings.
• Ace Pickleball Club: Ace Pickleball Club operates membership-driven indoor pickleball clubs with leagues, lessons, and tournaments. It overlaps with The Pickle Bar on pickleball programming, coaching, and community play, but skews more toward dedicated membership rather than the hybrid F&B model.
• Chicken N Pickle: Chicken N Pickle operates restaurant + indoor/outdoor pickleball + entertainment complexes across multiple U.S. markets. It is the closest direct peer to The Pickle Bar, sharing the integrated F&B + pickleball + events concept, multi-court venue format, and tournament programming.
• Puttshack: Puttshack is a tech-enabled mini-golf + restaurant + bar concept with proprietary ball-tracking technology and a national footprint. Like The Pickle Bar, it pairs a pay-per-use recreational activity with full-service F&B and group/private events as primary monetization.
• Swingers (Crazy Golf Club): Swingers combines a competitive recreational activity (crazy golf) with a full bar, food, and event programming in a hospitality-driven venue. It mirrors The Pickle Bar's F&B + competitive play + events structure, even though the sport itself differs.

Broad incumbents

• Topgolf: Topgolf operates large-scale sports-entertainment venues combining a driving-range-style game with full-service F&B, events, and group bookings. It is a broader incumbent that competes for the same social/competitive outing occasions The Pickle Bar targets, but at significantly larger scale and with broader brand reach.

Others

• Bowlero / Lucky Strike: Bowlero operates bowling-centered entertainment venues with bars, lounges, and event spaces. It is adjacent to The Pickle Bar's category of recreational-anchored social venues with food and beverage as a major revenue driver.

Market position

Strengths1 record

Weaknesses1 record

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/thepicklebar1
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@ThePickleBar
• Facebookfacebook.com/thepicklebar
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/thepicklebar
• Instagraminstagram.com/play.at.thepicklebar
• TikToktiktok.com/@thepicklebar?lang=en

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds3 records

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Pickle Bar