NEWPORT — A husband and wife duo have opened the first Dill Dinkers pickleball court in Delaware, just one of two the club sport franchise has planned for the state so far.
Two weeks ago, Jim and Mia Cassady opened the 31,000 square foot facility at 500 Water Drive in Newport after signing a 10-year lease with the owners, who are listed as Harvey Hanna & Associates. The lease has a five-year renewal option.
Inside, the court has 10 indoor courts, seven of which are championship-size. It also includes PlaySight Technology where players can record their games via video for later review and feedback from pickleball pros.
Dill Dinkers in Newport has also hired a team of experienced coaches and staff, led by pro coach Ron Pinsky, to help any pickleball player from beginner rounds to top competitors. For friends and family that may not be into pickleball – or those who are just starting out – the Newport facility also has table tennis and cornhole to play while watching games.
The Cassadys are from Montgomery County, Pa., and decided to go all in on the pickleball industry after they tried out the sport themselves. Jim Cassady spent years in pharmaceuticals, but when he and his wife picked up a pickleball paddle six years ago, they found a new passion.
“They had just built the courts and we had a lot of fun learning. But it was getting frustrating quickly, because there weren’t enough courts for everyone to play,” he told the Delaware Business Times. “The other problem was that if we did get court time, we were mixed with advanced players.”
The Cassadys joined the growing number of Americans interested in the sport – an estimated 48 million Americans played pickleball at least once in the past year, according to the Association of Pickleball Professionals.
“That was when I realized there was a problem to solve and we could do it by moving indoors,” he added. “We could account for the weather and shorter days.”
The Cassadays tried to go at it alone and build an indoor pickleball court, but the road was bumpy. Eventually, an advertisement from Dill Dickers searching for franchise owners ready to expand the pickleball facility cropped up in view of the Cassadys.
Once the deal was done, the couple became the regional developers for both Delaware County and northern Delaware’s operations.
For Jim Cassady, the First State is close to where he grew up, allowing him a familiarity and comfort in the community which helped him understand where a pickleball court would work best. A warehouse in Newport proved to be a perfect place, he said, with ceilings which were 25 feet tall and columns wide enough for sport courts.
“There’s not a lot of infrastructure or equipment needed. There’s the pro-level cork playing surface and we have safety fences around every court, as well as 12 televisions throughout the facility,” he said. “It just makes perfect sense – and this particular space, we got lucky. The landlord had it already prepared.”
Harvey Hanna & Associates is a commercial redevelopment firm that is headquartered in Newport. It owns and manages more than three million square feet of industrial, commercial, retail and other space. In the past, it built a name for itself by building industrial spaces, as well as acquiring hotels through its affiliate TKo Hospitality.
“We are excited to welcome Dill Dinkers to our property at 500 Water Street,” HHA President and CEO Thomas Hanna said in a prepared statement. “By welcoming this popular amenity to the Newport area, we are not only providing a space for recreation and connection but also reinforcing Newport’s bright future. Dill Dinkers is an exciting addition to this growing momentum, and we are thrilled to see the role it will play in shaping Newport as a destination for families, businesses, and active lifestyle enthusiasts alike.”
