Pickleball Kitchen and Leisure (PKL) to open at Unity Park in fall, 'eatertainment'

PKL Greenville is embracing the term "Eatertainment" — a combination of entertainment and eatery—for its upcoming space, PKL, in a pocket of Unity Park, just short of 79 Mayberry St. It will be dedicated to pickleball, kitchen, and leisure.

The new social and dining space is anticipated to open in late September or early October.

After two years of searching for property throughout the Upstate, co-owners John Sharkey and Nick Gilley settled on the former home of Mark V Studios -- a 1960s independent recording studio that existed for 30 years in Greenville. To commemorate, there will be a mural filled with Greenville's past music and recording history, including records, microphones, and sound booths, with music playing out of house speakers in collaboration with Greenville Music Preservations .

Yet the site will feature so much more. Eight pickleball courts and a pro shop dedicated to the sport will be on-site; a coffee shop, three restaurants, and a stage dedicated to Mark V Studios will become home to the new social development near the Southernside neighborhood.

This development is an opportunity for Sharkey and Gilley to fit their vision of "eatertainment," as their goal was always to be around the Swamp Rabbit Trail, and Unity Park was the ideal home.

"The active people here, the breweries, and everything happening around here, we thought this is it," said John Sharkey, co-owner of PKL Greenville. "We decided to incorporate more entertainment into the space due to the history of the building and we're trying to unify concepts for a bit of something that everyone wants to do."

The new social attraction will occupy 3.1 acres and can accommodate nearly 875 patrons at a time.

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The Kitchen, Toastified, Coop's Crazy Chicken and the food at PKL Greenville

Friends for nearly 15 years now, John Sharkey and Nick Gilley share a passion for food and hospitality, as Nick has had a hand in contracting and restoration of Gather GVL and The Silos of Easley . John is the former owner of Sharkey's in downtown Greenville and a Philadelphia native. Both have been in Greenville for nearly 20 years.

Their approach to food will be a highlight of their passions for hospitality and origins in food as three restaurants will be on premises at PKL Greenville:

• The Kitchen — refers to the front playing area on the pickleball court. The indoor restaurant will feature a menu of shaved ribeye cheesesteaks with authentic rolls from Philadelphia, chicken wings, smash burgers, healthy bowl options, flatbread pizzas and more.
• Toastified — a healthy option restaurant on the outdoor patio, offering acai bowls, toast-based dishes, smoothies, salads and more.
• Coop's Crazy Chicken — a restaurant dedicated to chicken prepared various, savory ways.

Their food options will function by a QR-code ordering system, where customers can pick up or have food delivered to a specific space at PKL Greenville.

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Live entertainment, big screen sporting events and pickleball courts at PKL Greenville

PKL Greenville is expected to host live music events during the summer and sparingly throughout the year. A 20-foot television screen and nearly 4,000 square feet of turf lawn will also host college and professional sporting events.

Their outdoor patio will feature four cabanas that can be reserved, a gaming area with ping-pong tables, a corn hole, other small games, and a barbecue area.

The main sporting site at Unity Park will hold eight pickleball courts and a dedicated pro shop where customers can purchase equipment and souvenirs dedicated to the sport.

According to Gilley and Sharkey, no live music will be played during sporting events. Live music will be hosted a few times per week, with larger musical acts coming a few times a month.

– A.J. Jackson covers the food & dining scene, along with arts, entertainment and downtown culture for The Greenville News. Contact him by email at ajackson@gannett.com, and follow him on X (formally Twitter) @ajhappened. This coverage is only possible with support from our readers. Sign up today for a digital subscription .

This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Pickleball Kitchen and Leisure (PKL) to open at Unity Park in fall, 'eatertainment'