New Orleans pickleball venue caters to open play, parties and events

Photos courtesy The Exchange Pickleball + Bar.

New Orleans attorney Renée Melchiode has been a longtime recreational tennis player. But like many adults over recent years, she tried her hand at America’s fastest growing sport: pickleball.

“I came off the court and said ‘This is a lot of fun. We need a pickleball facility. It’s New Orleans, so of course we need food, a bar, a big party space for gathering, spectator area, and live music capability as well,” said Melchiode. “That’s kind of how the vision all started, and one month in, we have been blown away by the interest.”

Melchiode founded The Exchange Pickleball + Bar in the New Orleans Lower Garden District, the only dedicated pickleball facility combining air conditioned indoor and outdoor courts, food and drinks in the Gulf South.
The dinking, drinking, and dining started on Aug. 8 and has not stopped since.

“All generations can play; it’s a healthy, social activity that everyone has latched onto,” Melchiode said. The Association of Pickleball Professionals estimates 48.3 million U.S. adults, or 19% of our entire population, have played at least one game in the last 12 months.

The Exchange venue, in the former warehouse space near Tchoupitoulas Walmart, features approximately 25,000 square feet of six air-conditioned indoor courts, one outdoor court, ping-pong, corn hole, restaurant and full-service bar. Messina’s Catering, a more than 60-year-old New Orleans caterer, is the daily food and beverage partner and caterer for parties and events.

“The beauty of playing a sport like pickleball is that four people cycle in and out for games that last about 15-20 minutes, so everyone who wants to play gets a chance to. It’s also a fast-action, sport perfect to watch and spectate while eating and drinking,” Melchiode said. “The six indoor courts lead to the center of our venue at the bar and restaurant area. We also have an outdoor court, outdoor furniture seating, and garage doors that connect indoor to outdoor play.”

Businesses buy in to sip and serve
In addition to open play being popular, it is the party and event side that is filling the calendar on nights and weekends at New Orleans’ newest option for ‘Eatertainment’ – a growing event concept and trendy desire for food and/or beverage before, during, and after activities.

The night The Exchange opened, there was a corporate event for LongueVue Capital; it was so successful that the company rebooked for another event. West Jefferson Medical Center also booked an event for its employees.

“The West Jeff administrator contacted me to do a team-building activity for about 30 people,” said Ray Puglisi, general manager of The Exchange. “I asked, ‘do you need a pro to help?’ They said, ‘No, we have someone who is very competitive and knowledgeable about the sport.’ They came in with brackets all made for an internal tournament. It was great to see that enthusiasm, and the playing aspect is a huge draw.”

The Exchange space can hold up to 600 people for an event. The venue has a live music license, and Melchiode can also work with a company to schedule a band and live music. Prices vary depending on group size and desired number of court rentals and length of play. There can be partial space rentals, or complete buyouts.

“In addition to businesses, we have hosted birthday parties, alumni groups, reunion gatherings, convention visitors, large groups for sporting events,” Melchiode said. “There is always something on our calendar. We have even gotten bookings as far out as January already.”

On Sept. 15, The Exchange hosted its largest corporate event thus far with Rampart/Wurth Holding, inviting 200 real estate and construction professionals, extending from employees to clients and prospective clients.

“Our employees and clients love playing pickleball, and this is the perfect, networking, meet-and-greet that translates the fun-loving, think outside the box culture of our company,” said Joseph Pappalardo, Jr., President of Rampart/Wurth Holding, Inc. “We had it fully catered, we had a piano player, and a pickleball pro who assisted people who wanted to learn. It was a really, laid-back, fun atmosphere that we jazzed up, but was classy and corporate as well to entertain our clients who are important to us.”

Team-building activity combined with food/beverage trending
Stacey Messina, owner/vice president of sales and marketing for Messina’s Catering, knew Melchiode from the same tennis circles, and when Messina was approached about a partnership, the two started exploring the concept of how to mix pickleball with the food and beverage component.

“We actually toured several pickleball facilities across the country, and we knew from what we saw, this concept could definitely take off,” Messina said. “It was a partnership that we had to make happen.”

Since its first catering contract with the Pontchartrain Center in the 1990s, the food and beverage management company now caters at convention centers, restaurants, hotels, festivals, and even Lakefront Airport, among other venues.

Messina said she has seen a trend in the party planning business of an added team-building activity (pickleball, top golf, bowling, interactive photo booth, etc.) to a food and beverage event.

“Companies are loving the idea of how they can host their holiday event at The Exchange, and  it becomes a staff team-building event as well,” Messina said, “Also, we have been seeing a lot of companies booking client networking holiday events to treat their clients to a fun holiday outing at The Exchange.”

At The Exchange, people can order menu items ranging from boudin egg rolls, wings and pickle chips to hamburgers, wraps, sandwiches, salads, and flatbreads. Courtside event catering items include the likes of crawfish beignets, buttermilk fried chicken and waffle, mini muffulettas, blackened alligator bites, duck empanadas, among other “quality, in-house, upscale bar finger foods and cuisine options with a New Orleans distinct flavor and twist,” Messina said.

There are also service court display choices ranging from Charcuterie to sliders to shrimp and grits, pasta stations, bread pudding, among others. For beverages, customers can do hosted open bar options or cash bar options. Beverage catering options include selections of wines, cocktails, etc.

“Messina’s has been doing this and doing it right for a long time; they are the perfect event management partner that can make even a large crowd feel intimate, which is important for a venue our size,” Melchiode said. “The menu is as New Orleans as you can get, combined with healthy options because we know you’re playing pickleball. It’s truly an experience for everyone to play the fastest growing sport, or spectate, socialize, drink, eat, and have a great time.”