Saumil Parikh, Chirdip Sheth, Hemang Patel and Dhaval Sheth have seen each other through life’s major moments. Now, the longtime friends are embarking on a new chapter together: the launch of their very own pickleball facility.
The group is coming together to bring a franchise of Pickleball Kingdom to Naperville. They are in the process of finding a location for their new facility, which — when complete — will feature climate-controlled indoor pickleball courts, according to a news release announcing the burgeoning franchise last month.
The friends hope to open their facility as soon as possible, they said in an interview. Though they estimated that a launch date could be anywhere from four months to a year away, they’re keen to “start growing this within the community,” Saumil Parikh, of Naperville, said.
The group met while in elementary school in India, they said. They went on to attend high school and college together. Then, about 25 years ago, they all settled down in the Chicago area, where they’ve raised their families, built careers and even developed a passion for running together.
To date, they’ve completed six half-marathons. But when running started to take a toll, they turned to pickleball.
“We realized that probably with age, (running) wasn’t sustainable,” Hemang Patel, of Naperville, said. “Our knees were not happy.”
They’ve been playing pickleball for about two-and-a-half years now.
However, as they got into the fast-growing sport, they also started to notice limitations with court availability locally, especially during the winter months. Recognizing the challenge, they decided to take it upon themselves to expand Naperville’s pickleballing options and establish their own facility, a venture that not only allows them to invest in a sport they’ve grown to love but also in their community.
“We wanted to make sure that we continue to be a value-add to the community by not only staying here but making sure that we can drive some economic activity in the (city), as well as bring the community together,” Parikh said.
The friends evaluated several different possible partners before landing on Pickleball Kingdom, they said. Ultimately, the national indoor pickleball franchise “felt (like) the right partner for us,” Parikh said.
The first Pickleball Kingdom opened in Chandler, Arizona, nearly three years ago. It now has 11 locations open to date, with an additional 40 to 50 locations expected to open by the end of the year, according to Pickleball Kingdom spokesman Mitch Kistner.
Pickleball Kingdom has nearly 400 franchise locations awarded at this time, Kistner said.
Apart from indoor courts, Naperville’s incoming Pickleball Kingdom is set to offer coaching and clinics, youth development programs, leagues and tournaments.
The franchise would be Naperville’s third indoor pickleball facility to open over the past few years. Just over a year ago, The Picklr opened in Naperville’s Fox River Commons shopping center at 704 Route 59. The 27,300-square-foot space includes nine indoor pickleball courts.
In fall 2023, Sure Shot Pickleball opened at 2244 Corporate Lane, offering 11 indoor courts.
As for Pickleball Kingdom, those interested in knowing the latest with the Naperville franchise’s progress can sign up for updates at pickleballkingdom.com/naperville-il/.
