Indoor pickleball facilities planned in Bradenton area. What to know about Dill Dinkers
When the world shut down in 2020, Tim and Heather Dull discovered pickleball.
It’s the fastest-growing sport in America, according to USA Pickleball.
And in the driveway of their Maryland home, the Dulls began playing during the COVID-19 global pandemic.
“Tim painted a blue court in our driveway and we got one of those portable nets,” Heather Dull said. “We were playing pretty much every day.”
The Dulls, who bought a house in Sarasota in 2021, also found Dill Dinkers, an indoor facility featuring several courts, in their hometown during the 2022 winter holiday season. The pickleball facility is entrenched in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast region.
Until now.
Indoor pickleball courts planned in Bradenton
The Dulls are franchising 10 Dill Dinkers locations throughout Florida’s west coast, including Bradenton, Sarasota, Venice and St. Petersburg.
The exact locations are not finalized yet, but the Dulls said they plan on opening the first location by the end of 2024 or early 2025.
“We are developing two indoor facilities in the broader Sarasota/Bradenton area of 9-12 courts each,” Heather Dull said. “We’re hopeful that it would be like a six- to 12-month kind of timeline and that’s kind of what we’re expecting. But obviously, things can change.”
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The move to the Suncoast is part of a bigger expansion for Dill Dinkers. According to company’s website, there are 125 locations in development. Dill Dinkers currently has operations in the greater Washington D.C. area in Maryland and Virginia.
Pickleball enthusiasts can reserve a court at Dill Dinkers, which features a variety of membership options. The court reservation system is something different than the first-come, first-serve model often found at public outdoor courts.
“There’s very few places, if at all, that you can reserve a court and go play and have that court for your time,” Tim Dull said. “And I think that’s one of the big features that makes us think this will be very popular down here.”
He said they are focused on getting pickleball players into Dill Dinkers to create a community aspect. There will be social areas and some vending machines, but players are encouraged to bring their own food and drinks, Tim said.
For more information, visit the company’s website at www.DillDinkers.com.
This story was originally published March 20, 2024 at 5:50 AM.
