KENTWOOD, Mich. — Broad Leaf Brewery + Spirits is adding a new item to its menu — not one you can eat or drink, but one where you can dunk and dink!
On Saturday, the restaurant will hold a grand opening for its brand-new pickleball complex inside its Kentwood location.
"Did you every think you'd be playing pickleball inside your brewery?" FOX 17 asked Broad Leaf's co-founder Jason Spaulding.
"No," he said. "It was not a dream of mine, but it's fun."
It may not have been Spaulding's dream, but after all these years in the service industry, he knows how to give the people what they want.
"This city is, like, pickleball crazy," he said. "So it just seemed like a natural fit."
You would only have to go back to October to see that 4,000-square foot section of the brewery looking much different. It used to hold a giant cooler for the warehouse.
Now, you'll find two brand new pickleball courts inside the restaurant, something never before seen in Michigan.
“It is fun because, I mean, the alternate that we were staring at was we'd close this place down, or we reinvent it and do something new," Spaulding said.
He explained that their giant Kentwood headquarters was up for sale for six months, and they had a solid offer on the table.
Keep in mind, it was only about ten days ago FOX 17 learned about the permanent closure of their Bridge Street location in Grand Rapids.
"It was like a do or die kind of situation," he said.
Well, they turned it down and took a chance.
“We've never had to close a place before. That was the first time," Spaulding said. "But we're trying to look on the bright side. We tried it. It didn't work. But we have to move on. And this seems like something exciting move on with.”
The courts will be open to everyone, but in order to reserve a spot you would first need to sign up for a free membership at courtreserve.com to complete a waiver. You can also do this by going to the brewery's website or scanning the QR code inside the restaurant.
Reserving a court costs $30 per hour for 2–4 players.
If pickleball isn't your speed, maybe you have $20 to reserve a spot on the Kickpin court.
What's Kickpin, you might ask?
"Kickpin is pretty self explanatory," Spaulding said. "Soccer and bowling."
Spaulding believes he invented the game. It would be pretty hard to argue with that claim.
"I've not seen Kickpin anywhere else," he said. "We trademarked the name Kickpin, and we'll see what happens with it.”
The grand opening for their reimagined space is scheduled for this Saturday, Jan. 20, from 12 p.m.-1 p.m.