New Wichita and San Antonio locations tickle Chicken N Pickle itch for expansion

North Kansas City’s Chicken N Pickle is picking up speed faster than a pickleball soaring across one of the business’ popular courts, said Laurie Morrissey.

Hatched within eyesight of the downtown Kansas City skyline, the entertainment venue is making a game-changing serve with its fast-casual approach to community recreation and the evolution of America’s fastest growing sport -– pickleball, said Morrissey, communications manager for Chicken N Pickle.

“You can get your workout in and eat,” she said of the restaurant, bar and indoor/outdoor complex that boasts eight courts and plenty of room for cornhole and other games.

“I view this as kind of the Brooklyn of Kansas City,” Morrissey said, describing the up-and-coming North Kansas City business and entertainment scene.

Beyond its flagship location at 18th and Burlington, Chicken N Pickle will soon find a new customer base with the launch of its Wichita complex early next year.

A newly announced third venue will drive the company south, with work on a 4-acre San Antonio complex scheduled to begin soon. San Antonio residents should be pickling, poaching, and punching their way around Chicken N Pickle courts by late 2019, Morrissey said.

“[We’ve talked about] locations in Dallas and Nashville,” she said of other possible expansion opportunities the company could take a swing at within the next year.

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Belly up to the bar at Chicken N Pickle to find KC Bier Co. products flowing through the taps. It’s part of a commitment to serving great, local beer and elevating other Kansas City entrepreneurs through neighborhood collaboration, Morrissey explained.

Chicken N Pickle currently shares a parking lot with Restless Spirits Distilling Company, opening a door for potential partnerships, she suggested.

Community elevation doesn’t stop with the entertainment venue’s drink and locally sourced food offerings, revealed Kelli Alldredge, charity coordinator and vice president of special events. Chicken N Pickle is dedicated to community involvement through charity work, she said.

Work with local organizations like Wayside Waifs and through events like Jazoo are the company’s way of supporting their home community and thanking Kansas City for its support-rich, startup climate, she said.