The owners of the indoor pickleball facility in Goleta are ending their partnership with the international franchise Picklr and becoming independent operators of the business.
Ted and Trish Guggenheim announced to founding members and regular users of the local Picklr in the Fairview Shopping Center that they were fully taking charge of the facility and will be renaming it The Grove Pickleball.
The business will be closed Sept. 12-13 for rebranding and will reopen as The Grove Pickleball on Monday, Sept. 14.
Trish Guggenheim said the new name is a homage to the history of the property, which years ago was a lemon grove.
Now in full control of the seven-court complex that was formerly Bed, Bath & Beyond, the Guggenheims said The Grove will have more options and flexibility to better serve the local pickleball community.
They plan to reduce prices and offer more playing opportunities for all player levels. Their new pricing plan and playing schedule will be released on a new website — grovepb.com — and phone app that will go live on Sept. 14, they said.
“We are moving away from a membership model and lowering the pricing by offering a player pass system. This allows us to focus on the occasional customer as much as our regulars,” said Ted Guggenheim.
They learned soon after opening the doors of Picklr on May 3 that they were in for some challenges.
Ted Guggenheim explained in a meeting with Picklr members and frequent users of the facility that the company’s franchise model of running the business “did not work well in a unique community like Goleta/Santa Barbara.
“When Trish and I came to that realization really a month or two into opening here, we got pretty panicky — we’re like tying ourselves to a sinking ship and that is extremely scary.”
The Guggenheims felt cutting ties with the Picklr franchise was the best way to keep their dream of running an indoor pickleball facility in their community alive. Ted Guggenheim said the conclusion was a “mutual release” between the parties.
The Guggenheims hope the move to go independent sends a positive message to the pickleball community.
“I think there’s a misconception around here that we’re just the representatives of this big machine, this big franchise and sort of what’s behind it, and we’re the people running the engine. That couldn’t be farther from the truth,” said Ted Guggenheim. “Every dollar that was spent to build this beautiful facility came out of Trish’s and my pocket, specifically. We initially thought we’d have investors coming with us and that didn’t happen.
“And we thought, ‘Well, put it on our bill’ because we really believed in the power and the reliability of what indoor pickleball brings to the game and didn’t want to just give up. We could have.”
Trish concurred. “There were certain mornings when it was like: ‘Is it today?’ No, we’re not giving up. It’s too much of a dream. It’s too big of a dream.”
Ted Guggenheim said he’s been working with the building landlord to keep the doors open to the indoor pickleball facility.
“They’re being generous and offering us a situation where we can have up to year to prove if this works. We’re appreciative of what they’re trying to do,” he said.
In the big picture, though, the owners are counting on the community’s help to bring more players indoors.
“It’s really up to you guys to bring more people in,” Ted Guggenheim said at the meeting. “Before, it was a membership thing (at the Picklr). Now that’s gone. Go get your friends at Kellogg (outdoor courts), GV (Goleta Valley) and Muni (Santa Barbara Municipal Courts). This isn’t either-or; I love playing outside and there’s room for all of it.”
The indoor pickleball facility is located at 191 N Fairview Ave. in Goleta.
