A new, state-of-the-art indoor pickleball club has opened in the old Kmart space in Riverhead. After several years of work on the space and the installation of new plumbing and heating and retractable garage doors, Box Pickleball Container Bar & Kitchen (605 Old Country Road, Riverhead; 631-591-0269) debuted in December.
The “container” in the name refers to several large, refurbished shipping containers found inside the club, used to create offices, a front desk, a pro shop and a restaurant and full bar within the warehouse space, according to owner Peter Bachmore. Nine pickleball courts, as well as courts for bocce and cornhole, stand ready to welcome those eager to play this fast-growing sport, which has exploded in popularity in the past few years.
“Pickleball began as a niche sunbelt sport,” says Scott Green, director of pickleball at the facility. “Last year 36.5 million people played pickleball.” According to a 2023 Sports & Fitness Industry Association report, pickleball continues to be America’s fastest-growing sport for the third year in a row.
“Many people want to learn how to play pickleball because their friends are playing, and they don’t want to be left out,” Green says. A certified instructor, Green has taught over 1,000 players the finer points of the game over the last two years.
“If you have some basic eye-hand coordination and you can bend your knees, you can play,” he says. The club offers private, semi-private and group lessons, as well as adult clinics every Saturday and Sunday at 11 a.m. and 12 p.m. at an introductory rate of $25 per hour.
Box Pickleball Container & Bar is the latest home for the popular sport on the North Fork. (Photo credit: Stephanie Villani)
Mike Wier, Box Pickleball’s General Manager, notes that pickleball is “a multi-generational sport. It is mobility accessible…we appeal to every rank, from novice to professional.” He expects the club to contribute to East End residents’ physical and mental health and to provide a social community that anyone is welcome to join.
Non-members are welcome to reserve courts starting at $40 an hour and sign up for open sessions for $30 per player. Annual memberships are $120 and offer discounts and priority bookings. Lifetime memberships are available as well.
The club’s restaurant and full bar is run by Justin Tempelman, owner of JT’s Cafe in Blue Point and a veteran chef. “His specialty is comfort food with a twist,” says Wier. The menu offers soups, salads, smash burgers and a Sunday brunch, and is open Thursday through Sunday. “The food is absolutely to die for,” says Green.
One of Green’s goals is to get East End kids playing pickleball, and field trips for students from Riverhead and Southold are in the works, as well as a summer camp program. Green says he believes that eventually pickleball will become a high school sport.
Box Pickleball Container & Bar is open Monday-Sunday, 8 a.m.-10 p.m. The club will have leagues starting up in February and plans to host fundraisers and tournaments for the community, as well as offering sponsorship opportunities for local businesses. Anyone is welcome to come in for a tour; for more information, check out Box Pickleball’s Instagram and website.
