The Picklr Opens 10-Court Fremont Club Inside Former Chocolate Factory

Indoor pickleball has moved well past the scrappy gym-conversion phase. What comes next looks like 27,000 square feet of cushioned courts inside a converted chocolate factory in one of Seattle's most walkable neighborhoods, open every day, rain entirely irrelevant.

The Picklr Fremont held its grand opening Saturday, April 4, at 124 N. 35th Street, the former Theo Chocolate building, hosting free public play and community events from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Rajiv Khatri, the club's local franchise owner and co-founder, welcomed the first wave of players into a facility that is The Picklr's first Seattle location and its third in Washington state, part of a national footprint that now counts more than 375 clubs sold across North America.

The 10 courts are all indoor acrylic with permanent lines and nets, one of them championship-sized with dedicated spectator room. All feature the franchise's proprietary outdoor-style cushioned surfacing, a texture that reads as a meaningful difference after two hours of lateral movement near the kitchen. The club runs 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. seven days a week, which for Seattle's pickleball community means consistent court availability across the months when rain wipes out every public outdoor option from October through April.

Khatri framed the space in terms bigger than a league slot. "As the birthplace of pickleball, Washington holds a special place in the sport's history," he said, "and we're proud to continue that legacy by offering a best-in-class indoor pickleball experience." His broader intent, he added, is for the club to serve as Fremont's "third space": "A place that isn't home and isn't work, but feels like a community living room for players of all ages." Chris Walker, The Picklr's Chief Development Officer, confirmed the brand's conviction about the market: "We couldn't be more excited to see The Picklr come to life in Fremont. This has been a market we've believed in for a long time."

The membership structure is built for different levels of commitment. The entry-tier play membership runs $109 a month for casual court access. The adult unlimited tier, at $141, adds league play, tournaments, four clinic passes per month, and seven-day advance booking with no reservation fees. Families covering two adults and up to four juniors pay $308, and junior players aged 5 through 17 carry a $74 rate. One membership unlocks access to every Picklr location nationwide, currently more than 100 open clubs. Players not ready to commit can start with a 15-day trial tied to the Fremont home club, though the trial locks to the home location and cannot be reused.

The deepest opening-week deal was the Founder Membership, offered only to the first 500 members who signed up on or before Saturday's grand opening. Founder pricing locks in at a discounted rate for life, as long as the membership stays active.

Saturday's launch also included instruction from on-site pros, chiropractic services, raffles, and catered food and drinks. Beginner clinics and intro sessions are built into the ongoing programming, designed to bring in players who have never dinked alongside the competitive regulars who need evening league slots. The facility also includes a full pro shop and private event space, rounding out the amenities beyond the courts themselves.

The Picklr Fremont is expected to serve as a flagship location for the brand, and with additional Washington locations already in the franchise's pipeline, Khatri's conversion of the old Theo Chocolate building may turn out to be the opening move in a much larger statewide build-out.