Are U.S. Padel Clubs About to Start Closing As Fast As They're Opening?
The first cracks are starting to show...
Nearly every single day I learn about a new padel club that’s opening somewhere in the U.S. — and now, suddenly, I’m also starting to hear about a fair number of them closing, too.
Case in point, earlier this week, I stumbled across a new eight-court club known as Punto Azul Padel Club that’s coming to Houston. And unlike so many other new clubs out there, the Punto Azul folks actually let people know exactly where they’ll be located and how many courts they’ll have.
(Which is simple — but incredibly important — information that frustratingly few other padel clubs ever make readily available!)
So, as soon as I discovered it, I went to add it to my interactive Google map that tracks (almost) everywhere you can play padel in the U.S.
However, when I did, I also started checking in on some of the nearby clubs in the area only to find that at least three of them have shuttered, including:
A one-court outdoor facility known as SB Padel Houston…
A one-court indoor facility known as Houston Padel Indoor, and…
Most surprisingly, Solarium, an upscale, industrial-chic restaurant, bar, lounge, and event space that offered two outdoor padel courts in addition to pickleball — yet has already closed its doors less than a year after its splashy grand opening, despite being backed by a former MLB pitcher and generally getting very positive reviews from thousands of customers on Google.
Speaking of which, one reviewer recently stated that:
“Solarium is now permanently closed as of the middle of this week. Do not book any further reservations to play or eat there. We had 11am reservations and showed up only to find the pickleball and [padel] courts being torn down. New ownership is coming in and going to repave the courts back into a parking lot for the new restaurant.”
And Houston Isn’t the Only Place This Is Happening, Either
In fact, despite having incredibly lob-friendly 40-foot ceilings, a three-court indoor facility in Oakland, NJ, has now opened and closed its doors not just once, but twice, in the span of about 18 months.
The original club, known as &Padel, made it less than a year before abruptly shuttering and then being re-opened shortly thereafter by another ownership group under the name RaxNJ — which, unfortunately, was also very short-lived, as well.
Meanwhile, the first club to open in the greater Boston area, known as Sensa Padel, turned over operations of its four-court indoor facility (also with very pleasantly high ceilings) to the larger sports club it was housed in, known as Bosse Sports, shortly after I visited there last July while it sought out a new location closer to the city.
And now it appears that Bosse Sports has closed its doors altogether.
Beyond this, I’m also aware of multiple U.S. padel clubs that are now up for sale in California, Florida, and Illinois — and not necessarily because things are going well — in addition to two others that recently changed hands in Los Angeles and Dallas.
The Beginning of the End or Just the End of the Beginning?
Granted, five U.S. padel clubs with eleven total courts closing is a just a drop in the bucket compared to all the big-time club openings on the horizon, like…
Los Angeles Padel Club, with its seven outdoor courts that should be opening in the next month or so…
Icon Padel, which will also be opening seven (covered) outdoor courts in Aventura, FL, in the near future…
PURE Pickleball & Padel, a sprawling racquet-sports facility with 40 pickleball courts and eight indoor padel courts that is set to open next year in the Phoenix area…
Padel Haus Denver, which is finally getting ready to open its five-court indoor club any day now, and…
Padel Club Newtown, whose four outdoor courts on the east side of Cincinnati should be open next month with a planned expansion set to add eight additional indoor courts down the road…
Not to mention, all the clubs and courts that are getting ready to open in the greater Salt Lake City area alone.
So, while these closures definitely aren’t good news, at this point they seem to be less of a cause for major concern for the industry as a whole, and instead just more of a reminder that no matter how popular the sport may be, U.S. padel clubs aren’t immune to the economic realities facing all businesses.
What’s more, it highlights the importance of club owners and operators doubling down on programming, building community, and providing their members with an unbeatable experience they simply can’t find anywhere else (much like Alma Padel is doing just outside Chicago).
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Like Hollye said (hi Hollye!), fantastic article per usual. From my international playing POV, padel will undoubtedly continue to grow in the US. However, I think the ones who close fail to bridge the gap between what developers THINK players want and what players ACTUALLY want - ie, are the extra amenities worth the pricepoint to play? Will players be given a seamless experience routinely finding high-quality matches and training? Will there be a strong community feeling that keeps players coming in and bringing their friends? These questions, of course, vary significantly across geography and demographic, so it's key for operators to constantly listen and develop ways to adapt
Fantastic article…per usual. And yes, all of this is a great reminder that it’s not about putting up courts. It’s about connecting to the community…which is at the heart of padel culture. Thanks for these pertinent reminders. We are fine-tuning our hospitality for when we open in a few months. Keep up the great work with your reporting!!