Central Ohioans who want to throw an axe, play some pickleball, belt karaoke and scarf down chicken wings all in the same place, are in luck.
Smash Park — an “eatertainment” destination company that got its start in West Des Moines, Iowa, in 2018 — is coming to Westerville, and bringing its lineup of food, drinks and games with it. The 52,000-square-foot, $15-million venue at 495 Polaris Parkway will open Aug. 26 with indoor and outdoor pickleball courts, duckpin bowling, cornhole, bocce ball, shuffleboard, darts, an arcade and more, plus a full-service restaurant and bar.
The Westerville location — built on land acquired for $1.97 million, according to Westerville Economic Development Director Rachel Ray — is Smash Park Entertainment Group’s fourth and biggest location. Husband and wife Monty and Kerri Lockyear started the company in Iowa before expanding to Roseville, Minnesota; La Vista, Nebraska; and now Ohio.
Beyond its slate of attractions, Monty Lockyear said Smash Park Westerville boasts a scratch kitchen with full service. The menu includes everything from nachos and burgers to acai bowls and mac and cheese, plus brunch on Sunday.
The Westerville venue’s second level is an adults-only, 21+ lounge referred to as the Paddle Club, which includes several flatscreen TVs, booths and tables, its own bar and an outdoor patio. Lockyear said the Paddle Club will host themed trivia and game nights, and a DJ will play on Fridays and Saturdays outside football season.
Though walk-ins are allowed, Lockyear encouraged guests to download the “Smash Park” app to make reservations up to two weeks in advance for games or tables. Each activity must be separately reserved, and prices vary.
Every day after 4 p.m., duckpin bowling is $10/hour per person, indoor pickleball is $30/hour per court and axe throwing is $39/hour per lane, according to Smash Park Westerville’s website. There is a $5 add-on for each pickleball paddle and a $3 add-on for a pickleball ball.
A pickleball start
For all its activities, Smash Park traces its roots back to a single game: pickleball.
In 2017 — before pickleball exploded in popularity — Monty Lockyear was at his tennis club when a stranger playing pickleball ran up to him, handed him a paddle and urged him to join.
“You’d never see this in tennis,” Lockyear said. “I didn’t know him, he didn’t know me. I thought, ‘Man, he’s really passionate about this.'”
It didn’t take long before Lockyear realized pickleball was his next entrepreneurial venture. He had been looking for a way to break into the eatertainment industry with an idea that went further than arcades or golf, originally envisioning a venue with indoor sand volleyball.
“What we really fell in love with was the active, social, inclusive part of pickleball,” he said. “We’re watching people play, and you could see a highly competitive game right next to a court with somebody who just picked up a paddle.”
Smash Park joins an increasingly crowded central Ohio pickleball scene. New courts and clubs are opening almost monthly throughout the region including some that serve food, such as Match Point Pickleball Club, Pickle & Chill and The Pickle Park & Club. Other eatertainment venues including Pins and Scene 75 can also be found in the Columbus area.
Despite its pickleball-centric origins, Lockyear said one of the best parts of Smash Park is that it’s not just one thing, but a chance to do a little bit of everything.
“You can go there five, six, seven times and have a different experience every time,” he said.
When looking to expand to a fourth location, Lockyear said his company debated between Columbus, Cincinnati and Cleveland. Between Westerville’s “charm,” proximity to Polaris and demographic similarities to the company’s initial Des Moines market, he said the city was the perfect fit.
Lockyear said the ultimate goal for Smash Park is to be a national brand, but the company isn’t in any hurry. Though he said has his eyes on Cincinnati, Knoxville and Indianapolis, Smash Park will pause expansion through 2026 to focus on its four existing locations before moving forward.
“Our theme internally is to not be the biggest, but to be the best,” Lockyear said.
Reporter Emma Wozniak can be reached at ewozniak@dispatch.com or @emma_wozniak_ on X, formerly known as Twitter.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: New 52,000-square-foot food, drink and entertainment destination to open in Westerville
Reporting by Emma Wozniak, Columbus Dispatch / The Columbus Dispatch
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