“[Pickleball is] approachable from 6 years old to 86 years old,” Clark said, “and anybody can pick up a paddle and just go have fun. So we've kind of morphed our concept around that idea, too — a family-fun variety of different types of people and groups centered around a little bit of competition and just great food and great drinks.”

The North Kansas City, Mo.-based concept is on the cutting edge, offering a menu of chicken, barbecue and sides in a fast-casual setting with a full bar. Service is conducted via location-finding beacon technology in the midst of a wide variety of sports diversions.

Chicken N Pickle offers other diversions such as bocce, cornhole, jump ropes, hula hoops, ping pong and shuffleboard.

The most recent opening in Grapevine features 12 year-round pickleball courts, lawn games, a rooftop bar and a fast-casual restaurant. Indoor and outdoor areas, such as the “Be Amazing” Room and Bier Gardens, are available for private events, which can accommodate more than 2,000 guests. The unit employs more than 200 people.