Before you laugh this off as nonsense, it has already happened in other parts of the country.

Bed, Bath & Beyond’s corporate owners filed for bankruptcy protection and are closing stores around the U.S. Those are some big square footage stores where Bed Bath & Beyond is located. Bangor is no exception.

And pickleball is growing and growing and needs new places to set up courts

So could a company lease the property where Bed, Bath & Beyond Bangor is located, and set up pickleball? Why not?

They could even do an opening promotion where they accept those Bed, Bath & Beyond coupons that are now useless.

According to a story on CNN.Com, a pickleball club is taking over the location of a Bed, Bath & Beyond in Lake Saint Louis, Missouri.

And it is not just Bed Bath & Beyond locations.  But in malls with former anchors like Sears, and Old Navy. Pickleball clubs are taking over.

Pickleball is the fastest-growing sport in America. In the past 3 years, the number of pickleball players has grown 159%. As of last year, there are 9 million pickleball players.

So as you can imagine with that surge in growth the need is for more and more places for players to play their newfound game. When it comes to pickleball courts, if you build them, they will come. The expectation is that the game will continue to grow and grow.

And former big box store locations might make perfect sense. A win-win for both the building owners and for the new clubs.

Scott Miller
Scott Miller
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So as we anticipate the Bangor location of Bed Bath & Beyond going away, maybe those wishing and hoping for a Trader Joe’s or IHOP or other favorite shops that are not in Bangor to take that location might get a surprise.

It could be pickleball courts, and it wouldn’t be the first time as more and more stores close up, and developers look to fill their vacant space, they are thinking outside the box, and who’s to argue that it doesn’t make sense?

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