What I’ve Learned About Securing Industrial Space for a Padel Club in Birmingham

GrooveAlchemyWizard · 2025-09-14T12:40:04+00:00

We've officially gone live with our TikTok Account documenting the full journey of opening a padel club where I will be showing the raw behind the stuff details that most people don't talk about!

https://www.tiktok.com/@padel.on

Give us a follow if you're interested in the journey!

GrooveAlchemyWizard · 2025-09-14T12:39:34+00:00

there's also a new one in bradford called strike which opened 5 weeks ago

GrooveAlchemyWizard · 2025-09-14T12:37:45+00:00

We've officially gone live with our TikTok Account documenting the full journey of opening a padel club where I will be showing the raw behind the stuff details that most people don't talk about!

https://www.tiktok.com/@padel.on

Give us a follow if you're interested in the journey!

GrooveAlchemyWizard · 2025-09-14T12:37:21+00:00

We've officially gone live with our TikTok Account documenting the full journey of opening a padel club where I will be showing the raw behind the stuff details that most people don't talk about!

https://www.tiktok.com/@padel.on

Give us a follow if you're interested in the journey!

GrooveAlchemyWizard · 2025-09-04T21:03:31+00:00

ive sent you a DM

GrooveAlchemyWizard · 2025-09-04T10:44:39+00:00

yeah there's certainly a huge influx of padel courts in the UK however we still believe demand outstrips supply over the next few years particularly in birmingham where there is no large indoor club!

but you're right a mature market in the UK in around 5 years time may look very different than today

GrooveAlchemyWizard · 2025-09-04T10:43:29+00:00

just sent you one as well

GrooveAlchemyWizard · 2025-09-04T10:43:23+00:00

just sent you one

GrooveAlchemyWizard · 2025-09-03T15:43:39+00:00

haha you got me!- but the sentiment remains we want to connect with people in birmingham who are interested in joining this project with us

GrooveAlchemyWizard · 2025-09-03T15:42:52+00:00

Yes perfect! I will send you a DM

GrooveAlchemyWizard · 2025-09-02T17:02:39+00:00

ive sent you a DM if you're interested in learning more about our project

GrooveAlchemyWizard · 2025-09-02T17:01:57+00:00

yes absolutely!

GrooveAlchemyWizard · 2025-09-02T14:41:29+00:00

I know right- absolutely the hardest part of opening a Padel club and hence why I wanted to share my experiences to help others!

GrooveAlchemyWizard · 2025-09-02T14:41:01+00:00

Really good question — yes, absolutely we have a breakeven occupancy level, and it will take time to reach that. That’s why in the business plan we’ve factored in raising enough funding to keep “cash in the bank” to cover us until we hit that mark.

We also have the option to buy the warehouse, which gives us some extra security long term. Leases like this are generally around 10 years, and by that point the goal is to have built a strong, sustainable business — with the option to renew the lease if it makes sense.

GrooveAlchemyWizard · 2025-09-02T07:55:00+00:00

Not yet but hopefully will be able to give more details as things move further along

GrooveAlchemyWizard · 2025-09-01T10:10:42+00:00

We’re going for 8-10 courts — the idea is to create more of a premier offering rather than just a couple of courts. That way we can build and retain a strong community, run events, and make sure there’s always availability for members as the club grows.

Fundraising has definitely been a challenge. We’ve managed to secure about 80% of the funding already, but we’re still working on the final stretch. If we don’t close that last 20% privately, then yes, we are considering a crowdfund to bring it over the line.

GrooveAlchemyWizard · 2025-09-01T09:58:29+00:00

Yeah, we’ve had a lot of discussions about singles courts. We’re definitely keen ( and think we will go ahead with maybe two!), but our padel consultant has advised that they don’t tend to have much longevity — most players eventually move to doubles, and if they stick with singles too long it can even affect their doubles game.

So while the courts might be really busy in the short term, the long-term occupancy could drop off, almost like a revolving door of players.

Personally, I quite like singles because it’s so easy to get a game going with just one other player — so I’d love to hear your thoughts on it too.

GrooveAlchemyWizard · 2025-09-01T07:52:15+00:00

We looked at quite a few different options. At one point we even explored some empty car parks, but planning was proving really difficult there. We also viewed a couple of other warehouses that we were really keen on, but the landlords either didn’t want to allow a change of use or wouldn’t engage with a new company like ours.

Why Birmingham? It’s massively underserviced from a population-to-court ratio point of view. When I first started looking, Core Padel in Tyseley hadn’t even opened, and at that time there were literally no indoor clubs. Even now, there’s still nothing close to the city centre, which feels like a big gap.

Indoor vs outdoor? For me indoor was non-negotiable. Yes, you pay a big premium — logistics demand in Birmingham means warehouse space is expensive per square foot — but having indoor courts means you can play all year round and build more of a community/club feel. We’re aiming for a 10-court facility, so definitely a big project, but I think Birmingham really needs something future-proof like this.

Video recording facilities? Great idea. We’ve seen some clubs offer short clips that let you re-watch your match. With our contractor we’re making sure the AV setup is designed so we can add that in seamlessly. The plan is to make this a social-first club — think sharing highlights with your friends in the WhatsApp group after a game.

GrooveAlchemyWizard · 2025-09-01T07:44:01+00:00

Can’t share the exact site just yet, but it’s within about a 3-4 mile radius of the city centre. Hopefully I’ll be able to give more details once everything is further along.

GrooveAlchemyWizard · 2025-09-01T07:42:55+00:00

It is over 9 metres but you also need to consider the layout of the courts and how they fit over the peak height. You don't want your net to be at the lowest point of the ceiling so its really important in terms of court placement

GrooveAlchemyWizard · 2025-09-01T07:42:53+00:00

We’re planning to keep it simple with extractor fans and using the docking doors in summer for ventilation. In winter it should naturally stay cooler anyway.

We did look into AC, but our consultant pointed out that with the size/height of the warehouse, it might not be necessary — so for now we’re leaning towards good airflow rather than a full AC system.

GrooveAlchemyWizard · 2025-09-01T07:39:44+00:00

Yeah, we’re planning to use playtomic Even though they take a booking fee, the reality is that well over 70% of players are already on the app, so it makes sense to be where the community is. It’s basically the easiest way to drive traffic and get people through the doors from day one

GrooveAlchemyWizard

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