Can pickleball cure what’s ailing Santa Monica’s Third Street Promenade?

Could pickleball be the answer to America’s big-box retail crisis? In Santa Monica, it may be a start.

Pickle Pop, an indoor pickleball venue where players can reserve court time, opened its doors on Santa Monica’s Third Street Promenade, one of the city’s popular shopping areas, on Saturday. Part sports club, part clothing retailer, part restaurant, Pickle Pop positions itself as an inviting space for serious athletes and social picklers alike, offering a relatively affordable alternative to waiting in line to play at public parks.