Mahomes-backed pickleball concept pumps brakes, citing economic uncertainty
For the first time since its founding in 2016, Chicken N Pickle will spend the rest of the year without a new location under construction — a significant pivot for the Kansas City-based entertainment brand that’s become one of the country’s most visible players in the pickleball boom.
“We’re just hitting pause for a little while,” said president Kelli Alldredge. “That’s not to say we won’t get back to building new locations. But with the unknowns of the international economic headwinds and rising construction costs the past few years, we’re exploring new ideas of what Chicken N Pickle can look like.”
In 2023, Chicken N Pickle announced it planned to add seven locations before 2025 — a national expansion funded in part by a $10 million “friends and family” investment round from about 30 investors, including Kansas City Chiefs stars Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce.
Most of those locations are now open, including in St. Charles, Missouri, and the Texas cities of Allen and Webster. Its 13th location, in Thornton, Colorado, opens later this month. Both KC area locations — at 1761 Burlington in North Kansas City and 5901 W. 135th St. in Overland Park — are still humming.
But a few previously announced Chicken N Pickles haven’t yet come to pass: Omaha, Indianapolis, and Parker, Colorado.
Alldredge said the focus for the foreseeable future will be on acquiring other hospitality or entertainment concepts, or teaming up with cities to share costs and planning.
“We’re going to continue to evaluate if there’s a merger-acquisitions opportunity out there,” Alldredge said. “And if there are some cities out there that would like to work together on a pickleball concept, we’re interested in teaming up.”
She cited the city of Henderson, Nevada — where Chicken N Pickle opened a location last year — as a model.
“We partnered with the city and they helped build our outdoor courts,” she said. “The appeal of that is they make sure you have good parking, good lighting — you feel like they are really invested alongside you.”
In a press release issued Monday, CEO Brad Clarke said, “Growth isn’t just about footprint, it’s also about flexibility. We are responding to what we are hearing: cities want partners, consumers want meaningful experiences, and brands need to build with purpose.”
Alldredge said the company is not backing away from its national ambitions — just thinking more intentionally about what that looks like.
“We want to get creative with what we can look like moving forward,” she said. “We will continue to grow. It just might look differently.”
