COBB COUNTY, Ga. — A closed Walmart Neighborhood Market in East Cobb could soon be a new entertainment venue. The empty store sits on Roswell Road in East Cobb.
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Channel 2’s Michael Seiden reports that the empty space will transform into an indoor pickleball lovers’ paradise.
The plan is to put 12 pickleball courts inside the old Walmart with plenty to do between games.
If you used to buy groceries here, your next visit could look a whole lot different.
Cobb County Commissioners voted 4 to 0 this week to approve plans to convert the empty store into an indoor recreation facility.
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The plans include 12 pickleball courts, four golf simulators, social games, a bar and a kitchen.
The company’s website offers a preview of The Pickle Pad and its partnering restaurant, Crave Social Eatery.
Both are planned for the Olde Mill Shopping Center, where Walmart closed in 2024.
For Alan Weinberg, pickleball is about more than what happens on the court.
“It’s also very social, so you know you play a game and you sit for a while,” he said. “You get to talk to people. It’s also a lot of fun.”
He takes lessons every Thursday at Fullers Park, and now, he’s excited about plans for another place to play in East Cobb.
For Weinberg, the new courts could give more people a chance to try the game that keeps him coming back.
“It’s hard to play well, but it’s real easy to learn, and it’s a lot of fun, good exercise, too,” he said.
Seiden checked with the company, and according to its website, the new attraction is expected to open sometime this fall.
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