Food, beer, pickleball and more: Smash Park coming to West Des Moines

Entrepreneurs Monty and Kerri Lockyear are bringing a new concept in dining and entertainment to central Iowa. 

Smash Park, an activity-based restaurant and bar, will open next year east of Jordan Creek Town Center in West Des Moines. 

The "experience-based concept" mixes food, drink and play, with eight pickleball courts, stand-up shuffleboard, pingpong tables, bocce ball, Foosball, bags, Jenga and life-size Connect Four.

"Bigger cities get these concepts and Des Moines just gets overlooked," Monty Lockyear said. "We really felt Des Moines needed it and we think it will thrive here."

Similar entertainment venues have been popping up around the United States. Franchises like Top Golf, Pinstripes and Punchbowl Social feature gourmet food and drinks while offering indoor golf, bowling and arcade games. 

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Three indoor golf simulator restaurants have opened in the Des Moines metro the last two years, while Up-Down in the East Village serves up a dose of nostalgia in an arcade bar atmosphere.

But the Lockyears see an opportunity to provide space for a greater variety of games, particularly for pickleball, a fast growing sport.

Smash Park, 6600 Coachlight Drive, will have a combined 47,000 square feet of indoor/outdoor space.

Inside will include a fast-casual restaurant with "chef-inspired street food" and a full-service bar with up to 40 beers, wines and ciders on tap, Lockyear said. The bar will have a self-pour system, similar to Della Viti in the East Village, where customers pay by the ounce instead of ordering pints.

Outside will have shaded beer gardens, fire pits, a concession stand and space for local food trucks. 

Most of the games are free. Only the pickleball courts and pingpong tables will require a fee, Lockyear said. 

The pickleball courts will frequently be used for youth and adult league play and tournaments, but are otherwise open to rent.

Pickleball is played on a badminton-size court with a hard paddle and ball that resembles a wiffle ball. The game combines rules from tennis, racquetball and badminton. 

It's popular among baby boomers and senior citizens since it's a low-impact sport, said Steve Stone, founder of Pickleball Iowa. But it's reaching younger generations, from kids to millennials, he said. 

Pickleball has exploded in the last few years to become the fastest growing sport in the nation, according to USA Pickleball Association, the organization that governs the sport.

About 2.5 million people play the sport, the Sports & Fitness Industry Association found. There's a pickleball venue in every state in the nation and in every Canadian province, the USAPA says. 

Seven years ago, Iowa had seven pickleball venues listed on the organization's website, Stone said. Today, there are 78. Eighteen are in the Des Moines metro.

Places to Play Pickleball - USAPA Pickleball

Clive opened four pickleball courts at Wildwood Park, 15166 Wildwood Drive, in September. West Des Moines has courts at Valley Community Center, 4444 Fuller Road, and at Jaycee Park, 5608 Center St.

"The growth is phenomenal," said Stone, who is also the regional director for USAPA. "It's probably one of the best social sports in America."

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Smash Park received a $3.8 million U.S. Small Business Administration-backed loan last month. The Lockyears expect to invest a total of $5.2 million and add a minimum of 30 jobs when Smash Park opens. 

Construction is expected yet this year, with a target opening in July. The venue will be next to the new Hyatt Place hotel, just east of Jordan Creek Town Center.

Pickleball courts in the metro

Des Moines

• Four Mile Community Center, 3711 Easton Blvd., three indoor courts
• Jordan Park, 600 S.E. Wall Ave., one outdoor court
• Pioneer Columbus Recreation Center, 2100 S.E. Fifth St., four indoor courts
• South Des Moines YMCA, 401 E. Army Post Road, two indoor courts
• Tower Park, 4900 Hickman Road, two outdoor courts
• Witmer Park, 1610 34th St., two outdoor courts

West Des Moines

• Jaycee Park, 5608 Center St., one outdoor court
• Valley Community Center, 4444 Fuller Road, six indoor courts

Ankeny

• Greentree Park, 2063 N.W. Hickory Lane, four outdoor courts
• Parkview Middle School, 105 N.W. Pleasant St., three indoor courts

Urbandale

• LifeTime Fitness, 11911 Hickman Road, three indoor courts

Johnston

• Crown Point Community Center, 6300 Pioneer Parkway, one outdoor court
• Johnston Middle School, 6501 N.W. 62nd Ave., three indoor courts

Clive

• Campbell Recreation Area, 1885 N.W. 123rd St., one outdoor court
• Wildwood Park, 15166 Wildwood Drive, four outdoor courts

Waukee

• Waukee Family YMCA, 210 N. Warrior Lane, two indoor courts

Altoona

• Village Park, 1649 Fourth St. N.W., two outdoor courts

Pleasant Hill

• Doanes Park, 5050 Doanes Park Road, three outdoor courts

— Information from the USA Pickleball Association