Pickleball-focused athletic club to open at The Factory

A unique facility will bring 14 professional-grade pickleball courts, a full-service restaurant and bar, a membership lounge, a pro shop and several other activities under one roof in St. Petersburg.

A group of local experts in their respective industries formally unveiled plans Thursday morning for the long-rumored St. Pete Athletic, Paddle & Social Club. The Factory St. Pete, a 6.5-acre complex in the Warehouse Arts District, will house the unique facility.

Founder Reuben Pressman, a serial entrepreneur and Warehouse Arts District Association board member, noted that the centralized location abuts the Pinellas Trail. St. Pete Athletic – the first club of its kind in Tampa Bay – will also feature indoor and outdoor seating, courtside food and beverage service, a garden, a fitness studio and locker rooms with shower facilities.

“We have memberships; they get some extra benefits and amenities, but it’s fully open to the public,” Pressman told the Catalyst. “We fully expect people to come there to eat, drink and participate without being a member or even wanting to play.”

The announcement follows the closing of a successful funding round. Prominent local investors include Cathie Wood, founder of ARK Invest, and Trevor Burgess, CEO of Neptune Flood. Membership enrollment is now open.

Pressman’s team includes Jarrett Sabatini, owner of Intermezzo Coffee and Cocktails, Nathan Stonecipher, co-owner of Green Bench Brewing, and Graham D’Amico, co-owner of Major League Pickleball’s Florida Smash.

The group leased roughly 45,000 square feet of space at the Factory. Investor Tom Gaffney recently purchased the eclectic arts campus.

St. Pete Athletic will occupy three renovated buildings on the property’s westernmost edge along 28^th Street South. Pressman said a new structure would match the existing warehouses. Wannemacher Jensen Architects is designing the club.

Pressman will dedicate about 30,000 square feet to indoor pickleball courts fit to host tournaments, table tennis and Padel. The latter racket sport blends tennis and squash by incorporating walls surrounding an enclosed court.

The facilities will have indoor and outdoor seating, including courtside food and beverage service. Sabatini will oversee those efforts.

“We’re equally as much a social club as an athletic facility,” Sabatini said. 

A group of people play pickleball at the Coquina Key courts. Photo: Facebook.

He compared culinary options to elevated bar food and modernized country club fare. St. Pete Athletic will make everything in-house and lean heavily into handheld options and shareable plates.

The venue will also feature a small breakfast menu, a full cocktail bar, tea, pastries and a “coffee program.” Sabatini said the latter aspects “won’t be Intermezzo-branded or anything, but it would be the same level. We don’t want this to be an afterthought in terms of food and drinks.”

Green Bench Brewing will also introduce a new craft beer-focused concept at the venue. Pressman compared those plans to the brewer’s Webb City Cellar, recently nominated for a James Beard Award.

“Even though it’s on the same property, it’s their own concept; they have their own menu and do their own thing,” he elaborated. “We’ll have beers designed for the sports and club that you can only get there, for example.”

D’Amico, a professional pickleball player, said the abundance of indoor courts could simultaneously accommodate beginners, experts, corporate events and after-school youth programs. Pressman credited the sport’s popularity to its accessibility and said community engagement is a priority.

The group traveled the nation touring pickleball facilities to glean insight. Sabatini said they “learned a ton” from the experience, which influenced St. Pete Athletic’s design.

D’Amico co-owns the Smash with Travis Rettenmier, currently ranked 29^th in the Professional Pickleball Association (PPA) standings. D’Amico said Rettenmier would serve as St. Pete Athletic’s resident pro.

“We’re excited to bring Major League Pickleball events to this club, along with other pro events,” D’Amico said. “You can’t do that without more courts … you have to 12-plus courts to pull something like that off.”

He noted that indoor courts are particularly enticing to professional leagues due to the controlled climate and ideal lighting for broadcasting, “which is becoming big.” D’Amico said marquee events now attract millions of viewers.

Pressman stressed that St. Pete Athletic would not negatively impact The Factory’s current tenants. He said artists will have additional space and “nicer studios.”

Artists have expressed appreciation for an onsite place to eat, drink and relax, Pressman added. He believes the club will attract new demographics to The Factory and encourage current visitors to stay for an entire day.

“I think what we’re doing was part of the initial plans for The Factory that just never ended up coming out,” Pressman added. “So, we’re happy to bring a sustainable model to the property that helps keep the artists there … The ones that are there – they care about this. They think it’s great.”