How Chicken N Pickle is redefining social entertainment

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How Chicken N Pickle is redefining social entertainment

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It started with a spark of inspiration. And don’t forget the paddle. When Dave Johnson stumbled upon a pickleball court during a trip to Arizona in 2015, he had no idea he was laying the groundwork for Chicken N Pickle, one of the fastest-growing entertainment brands in the country. At the time, Johnson was dreaming up a golf-based concept similar to Topgolf. But one afternoon on the court was all it took to change his trajectory.

Within a year, Chicken N Pickle was born in North Kansas City—a bold blend of casual dining, fast-paced pickleball, and family-friendly fun that struck a chord with communities almost immediately. Today, Chicken N Pickle is more than a restaurant or sports venue—it’s a social hub. With locations rapidly expanding across the U.S., the concept has become synonymous with connection.

Think a welcoming mix of indoor and outdoor courts, chef-driven comfort food, lawn games and group gathering spaces designed to bring people together. From birthday parties and fundraisers to competitive leagues and casual rallies, the experience is as much about the people as it is the play.

The momentum hasn’t gone unnoticed. In 2023, Kansas City Chiefs stars Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce made headlines when they invested $10 million into the brand’s growth. But even with national buzz and high-profile backing, Chicken N Pickle stays grounded in its founding values—building relationships, supporting local causes and creating spaces where anyone, of any age, can show up and feel at home.

In the following Q&A, we get an inside peek into what brings Chicken N Pickle’s vision to life with Luke McElwain Director of Development & Construction.

Give us a snapshot of your restaurant brand and how it has evolved.

Chicken N Pickle is a family-friendly sports and games venue with a casual, chef-driven restaurant, bar with craft cocktails and local brews, pickleball courts and indoor/outdoor games for all ages and abilities in an atmosphere that fosters fun, friendship and community. What started as a single concept in Kansas City just eight years ago has grown into a movement—blending food, fun and friendship in a way that’s reshaping how people dine and play.

We’ve grown to 13 locations across the country and are continuing to expand. Each location brings the same energy, but with unique touches that reflect the community it serves. Our Growth Hasn’t Just Been Physical: We’ve introduced pickleball partnerships, elevated our culinary offerings, and deepened our commitment to community engagement, raising millions for local charities through events and giving programs.

What hasn’t changed is our purpose to foster connection, movement and joy. Whether you’re smashing balls on the pickleball court, laughing with friends over dinner, or watching your kids play giant Jenga on the lawn, you’re part of the Chicken N Pickle family.

What type of consumer are you targeting today? How has that shifted in recent years?

We were founded with the idea that Chicken N Pickle would be a vibrant, multi-generational community that values connection, active lifestyles and shared experiences. In the beginning, we relied very heavily on the sport of pickleball—we were among some of the first courts in many of the communities where we opened and we really leaned into the “fastest growing sport in America.”

Today, we remain that same great place for pickleball but with a renewed focus on creating a place for all ages to play, eat, celebrate, and gather. For families and kids, we offer a fun, safe, active place to play and share a meal. For people who enjoy fitness and wellness—we offer scratch-made food from local farmers and plenty of opportunities to exercise outside of a traditional gym. We are also a place where guests who appreciate a chef-driven kitchen, craft cocktails, and local brews can enjoy a casual yet elevated social dining experience.

And for companies or organizations, we offer a unique facility for team-building experiences and places to host events, fundraisers, or celebrations.

How does the design of your restaurants cater to the needs and expectations of today’s consumers?

Our spaces are community-centered and designed to break down barriers between strangers, encourage play at every age and bring people together over shared joy, whether it’s on the court, around a table or on the game yard. We blend indoor and outdoor areas to create gathering spaces that feel inviting and inclusive for all ages and abilities.

Today’s consumers crave more than just a meal, they want an experience, which is why our chef-driven kitchen is paired with dynamic entertainment like pickleball courts, yard games and live music.

Every visit can be unique, whether you’re coming for brunch, a tournament or just happy hour on the patio. We’ve designed our venues to be highly adaptable with flexible, multi-use spaces that can accommodate private event spaces and corporate outings to casual drop-ins. Consumers appreciate spaces that can fit a quick lunch, a team-building event, or a birthday bash, and our layouts make that seamless.

Each location reflects the spirit of its community, incorporating local art, ingredients, and partnerships. These design decisions play into our mission that we provide a place to connect through playful experiences, delicious food and shared celebrations in a playful backyard setting. We think about this mission in everything we do, from using warmer lighting levels to the materials we use and even down to the names of our event spaces—like “the roost” or “fireside.”

Walk us through how and why your restaurants are designed the way they are. What drives your design choices?

We are designed to be efficient for both our guests and our staff; because when your staff is happy and feels comfortable navigating through a space, that encourages our guests to do the same. Community is at the core of everything we do—from our food to our design which is why every location includes art and design elements that reflect its local community, while still maintaining our brand standards.

Our venues are built like community hubs, with indoor/outdoor spaces that invite people to gather, play and stay. Plus, open-air courts, fire pits, yard games and communal tables are all designed to spark interaction and inclusion. It feels personal, but polished, like your favorite hometown hangout with top-tier service and experience.

What are some of the biggest trends you’re seeing right now in restaurant architecture and design?

People are leaning heavily into smart technologies and the integration of tech into the design of the building—everything from ordering to lighting to TV control. We’re also seeing restaurants do what we’ve done since Day One, which is blurring the lines between inside and outside with retractable walls, garage doors, pergolas, and large patios.

We love to say we are low-tech, high touch—so what you don’t see on our properties are QR codes to order your food, digital scoring on the pickleball courts and ordering kiosks. We still very much value the human connection associated with each of these things.

How do you approach selecting new locations? What factors are most critical when expanding?

We are looking for larger, high energy markets that can support a large eatertainment concept. We evaluate demographics, the 30-minute radius drive time and high concentration of young families and professionals.

Give us a rundown of how your market layout is structured—urban, suburban, mixed?

Slightly mixed but predominantly suburban. We do have two locations that could be classified as potentially urban (Glendale, Arizona and North Kansas City, Missouri). Because we target families and want to be an extension of your home—we’re focused on the places where people live and play.

What is the biggest challenge you’re seeing on the construction side today?

The challenges that most others are experiencing: lead time concerns and being in a position to order things early enough and construction costs; the volatility of the market and associated costs are constantly increasing.

Talk about sustainability. How is it influencing the way you build, design and operate?

We utilize several renewable features, like wood, metal and granite and try to operate with as much high efficiency equipment as we can.

How do you balance maintaining brand consistency with the need to innovate restaurant designs?

We maintain consistency by selecting a few core elements and ensuring those are consistent through the brand—for us it’s the homey interior with lots of rich wood accents and our signature corporate color that’s a bright green. These things are incorporated purposefully into our designs.

What opportunities do you see for restaurant construction and design heading into the next two to three years?

We see a lot of opportunity in repurposing and renovating buildings versus ground-up construction which has been popular recently. I think we’ll see more restaurants taking over vacant concepts and buildings and retrofitting them to work for their needs.

Are you optimistic about the market? What trends or data points fuel that optimism?

People are yearning for restaurant experiences that are more than just a restaurant—they enjoy finding a place that’s plugged into their community.

What trends do you see emerging around customer experience inside restaurants?

Technology and interactive experiences like themed pop-ups and community-building activities like trivia and live music.

What’s the secret to creating a “must-visit” dining environment today?

It isn’t just about great food; it’s also about curating a complete experience that resonates emotionally with guests. The details should tell a story of who we are and spaces should feel memorable.

What makes your brand stand out when it comes to architecture, experience and consumer loyalty?

It’s the variety of spaces we offer inside and outside. There’s a place for everyone to experience CNP their own way.


Interview by Michael J. Pallerino, editor of Commercial Construction & Renovation magazine. Over the past 30-plus years, he has won numerous awards, including the “Jesse H. Neal Editorial Achievement Award,” recognized as the Pulitzer Prize for business-to-business magazines. He can be reached at mikep@ccr-mag.com.


One-on-One with…Chicken N Pickle’s Luke McElwain

Describe a typical day.

Coordinating design and construction efforts on new and existing locations with inside and outside teams.

What’s the biggest item on your to-do list right now?

Completion of construction and smooth transition to our ops team in Thornton Co

What was the best advice you ever received?

Anything worth doing is worth overdoing.

What’s the best thing a customer ever said to you?

I always enjoy how much people enjoy the experience they’ve had at a place I had a part in bringing to life.

 

 

 

 

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