Pickle News

Venue combining chicken and pickleball ready for Grand Prairie debut

You've got your chicken and you've got your pickle.

Photo courtesy of CNP

UPDATE 12-15-2021: Chicken N Pickle is ready for its Dallas-Fort Worth debut. The unique indoor/outdoor entertainment complex which includes pickleball courts, shuffleboard, yard games, restaurant, and sports bar, will open on Sunday, December 26 in Grand Prairie, near the 2900 block of Esplanade and adjacent to the service road along the President George Bush Turnpike.

Chicken N Pickle Grand Prairie features six indoor pickleball courts, three outdoor and two outdoor covered pickleball courts, lawn games, rooftop bar and event spaces. The menu offers rotisserie chicken, pork and beef sandwiches, and hand-cut fries and tots.

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There's an unusual restaurant-entertainment concept breaking ground in Grand Prairie that combines rotisserie chicken with the "sport" of pickleball.

Called Chicken N Pickle, it's a Kansas City-born chain that dubs itself the nation's leading pickleball-focused dining and entertainment venue. That's probably an easy claim, given the dearth of competition? (Although there are places to play pickleball in Dallas-Fort Worth and an entire Facebook page dedicated to Dallas pickleball with 779 followers drawn from Dallas, Plano, Rowlett, Rockwall, DeSoto, Arlington, etc.)

It'll break ground this week in Grand Prairie's Epic Central development; a release says it'll open in late 2021.

Chicken N Pickle is an indoor/outdoor complex centered around the sport of pickleball, combined with a restaurant/sports bar, lawn games, fire pits and TVs.

According to company lore, founder Dave Johnson conceived the idea in 2016 in the Grand Cayman Islands, where all great ideas are conceived. There, he discovered his love for wood-fired chicken and the game of pickleball.

He opened the flagship location in Kansas City, Missouri, followed by Wichita and San Antonio, which premiered in summer 2020. Three more are in the works for 2021, including Grand Prairie, Oklahoma City, and Overland Park, Kansas.

Grand Prairie's location will comprise 77,000 square feet with:

six indoor pickleball courts
five outdoor pickleball courts (two covered)
7,500 square feet of outdoor yard games
dining room
rooftop bar
stages for live performances

Food
The menu includes wood-fired and rotisserie chicken dishes, pork and grass-fed beef sandwiches, and salads.

You can get 1/4 chicken or 1/2 chicken which comes with a flour tortilla, avocado, and a fried serrano pepper, a flourish not unlike the pickle you get with barbecue.

There's a hot chicken sandwich, a chicken-fried chicken sandwich, a burger, pulled pork, and pulled jerk chicken.

Salads include a Caesar, Cobb, and a couple of power bowls such as the one with sweet potato, kale, quinoa, mint, jalapeño, cilantro, and avocado, in citrus vinaigrette.

"Munchies" include fries, tots, biscuits, chorizo fondue, avocado hummus, and fried pickles, which seem essential at a place dedicated to pickleball. There are also four desserts served in cast-iron skillets that include a s'mores cookie and apple crisp.

Pickleball
Chicken N Pickle - Grand Prairie will host pickleball clinics for beginners or advanced players and pickleball tournaments. Wow, there are advanced pickleball players out there, who knew.

Is it time yet to post a definition of pickleball? Yes. Yes, it is time:

Pickleball is a paddle sport where two to four players hit something resembling an enlarged whiffle ball back and forth on a court. Think of it as a combo of ping-pong, tennis and badminton, with a few variations. First-timers and advanced players can have fun playing at Chicken N Pickle.

The release says that pickleball is the fastest growing "sport" in America, and is most popularly played as doubles on a court half the size of a tennis court, with an oversized ping pong paddle and a plastic ball. The rules are a mix of tennis and ping pong and are easy and fun for all ages.

The mayor of Grand Prairie and the Grand Prairie city council are totally on board.

"We are so excited that Chicken N Pickle has selected Grand Prairie as the site of its sixth location nationally," says Mayor Jensen in a statement. "We have so many residents who are ready to play pickleball and eat chicken, some of whom serve on the City Council with me."

He calls it a wonderful addition to the Epic Central project, which already includes Epic Waters, The Epic, The Summit and PlayGrand Adventures, with hotels, more restaurants and retail coming soon.

openings sports

Cool new hang

Rollin Joe's coffee shop to open in old New York Sub space by SMU Dallas

Rendering courtesy of Rollin Joes

Rollin Joe's is going into the old New York Sub space across from SMU.

The iconic former New York Sub space across from Southern Methodist University is being amped up as a cool new off-campus hang: Rollin Joe's, an all-day, music-driven, coffee and beverage shop, will open at 3411 Asbury St., Dallas.

It will debut in late summer or early fall 2026, says a release, in time to serve espresso drinks, matcha, smoothies, and teas to a new crop of undergrads who need caffeine.

Rollin Joe's comes from SMU alumnus (and Cowboys owner Jerry Jones' nephew) Jerry W. Mooty, Jr. and hospitality veteran Kirk Thompson, who are transforming the longtime campus-area location into an all-day destination "pairing quality beverages with curated music, comfortable spaces and a community-focused atmosphere," the release says.

The location is notable for generations of SMU students and Park Cities residents who loved New York Sub, which had occupied the space since 1974, before closing earlier this year.

According to the release, Rollin Joe's will encompass 1,373 square feet with seating for 45 to 50. Features will include a covered patio, walk-up ordering, and a "Quick Sip" window for customers on the go.

The menu will focus on beverages, including coffee and espresso drinks, matcha beverages, specialty teas, smoothies, protein drinks, refreshers, energy beverages, grab-and-go sandwiches and snacks.

Notably, it will not sell alcohol. This is not a bar, frat boys.

Rollin Joe's will be an all-day coffee spot.Rendering courtesy of Rollin Joe's

Rollin Joe's will operate from morning through late evening, transitioning from coffee runs and study sessions to afternoon meetups and evening gatherings.

Music will also be a priority. According to the release, house music will be part of the daily soundtrack, with live DJs performing several nights per week and occasional guest DJs to help set the vibe.

For Mooty, the location was a key part of the project.

"The former New York Sub location holds a special place in the hearts of generations of SMU students and Park Cities residents," Mooty said in a statement. "When the opportunity arose to bring new life to the space, we saw a chance to honor that legacy while creating a new gathering place built around great drinks, music, community and meaningful connections."

Mooty is CEO and principal of Christie's International Real Estate @properties Lone Star. He says the idea for Rollin Joe's dates back more than a decade.

To clarify, the namesake "Joe" is not necessarily a person, but a concept, and what he's "rollin'" is, well, left to the imagination. As the release explains, "At the center of the brand is 'Joe' - a laid-back, music-loving personality who embodies the culture and spirit of Rollin Joe's. More than a host, Joe represents the welcoming, upbeat experience the founders hope to create for every guest who walks through the door."

Mooty explains, "The Rollin Joe's concept - and Joe's distinctive look and personality - has been a passion project of mine since I left the legal profession in 2012. I always believed in Joe as the focus of a beverage concept, but I knew bringing him to life would require operational expertise I didn't yet have."

Thompson joined the project after moving to Texas in 2024. His background includes owning and operating Panera Bread franchises in Kentucky and Florida, as well as Jimmy John's locations in Austin.

"When Jerry showed me what he had created, I immediately saw the potential," Thompson says. "The beverage category is evolving rapidly, and there was an opportunity to build something different - something that combines exceptional drinks, hospitality, music, and community."

The space was designed by Alexander Quintanilla of Q-ARC. According to the release, the design draws inspiration from music culture, vinyl listening lounges, and modern cafés, with comfortable seating, greenery, and lighting intended to complement the music-focused atmosphere.

coffee shop smu openings coffee