Ohio will be the company’s 12th state to have at least one facility. It currently has more than 20 facilities.
Dill Dinkers Hamilton, at 1740 South Erie Blvd. (Ohio 4) inside the Hamilton Crossing Shopping Center, is owned by Alex Alahakoon. It’s next door to Kroger and Skyline Chili.
“I thought it would be great to put a pickleball facility there,” said Alahakoon. “I had been working with the city of Hamilton and they don’t have a facility like this. They have a few outdoor courts, but there are no indoor pickleball courts in the immediate area.”
The space became vacant after a furniture store closed last year. Before that, the 43,000-square-foot space was a former Marsh grocery store.
Alahakoon is excited to have this pickleball franchise location open, saying they’ll have “exceptional resources for pickleball players.”
“We are looking forward to host tournaments and leagues in the immediate future,” he said.
One of the features, Alahakoon said, is that Hamilton location’s 12 champion-sized courts will feature surfaces with Pro Cushion, a soft rubber-like surface. It also has a ball machine, a pro shop and a state-of-the-art reservation system to minimize wait times.
The closest indoor pickleball facility is the Pickle Lodge off Interstate 75 in West Chester Twp., about a 20-minute drive from Hamilton. Alahakoon said he believes most of their clients will be in the Hamilton and Fairfield area.
Alahakoon said they’ve connected with local businesses, including the nearby Third Eye Brewing location and Chester’s Pizza.
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