New pickleball restaurant called Camp Pickle considers opening at The Pass near NoDa

State of play: The new chain plans to open 1940s-style summer camp bars and restaurants where you can also play pickleball starting in 2024.

• A timeline and location have not been set for a Charlotte location, but sources confirmed Camp Pickle is looking at a space in The Pass, a new development near NoDa and the Sugar Creek Station.
• Local development writer Jason Thomas first reported the listing.

Why it matters: Pickleball is the nation’s fastest-growing sport, and Charlotte can’t get enough. A similar pickleball restaurant, Rally, recently opened in LoSo and court reservations sell out days in advance.

What they’re saying: Camp Pickle has been “exploring opportunities in Charlotte for the past year and are extremely enthusiastic to open a Camp Pickle in Charlotte,” Camp Pickle owner Robert Thompson, of Angevin & Co., tells Axios.

Bonus: Thompson will also open Jaguar Bolera, a bar with duckpin bowling and Camp Pickle’s sister brand, in Raleigh early next year.

Details: Camp Pickle has locations confirmed in Denver, where their headquarters will be located and in Huntsville, Alabama.

• Other locations in the works include Atlanta, Austin, Dallas, Nashville, New Orleans and Indianapolis.
• The food service will be fast-casual, with Mexican influences and camp-style cuisine like smoked meat.
• Courts will primarily be indoor for a year-round experience, Thompson says.

Zoom out: Camp Pickle isn’t the only brand looking to expand its footprint into Charlotte. Chicken N Pickle, a Missouri-based sports bar chain with pickleball courts, is “actively looking for multiple Charlotte locations,” spokesperson Garrett Stutz tells Axios.

The bottom line: Expect to see more pickleball places combining food and sport popping up in the coming years.