A former Goldman Sachs banker has traded spreadsheets for serve returns, opening a six-court pickleball and social club off North Central Expressway in Dallas that pairs the sport with a full-service bar and kitchen. Serve & Sip opened earlier this summer, offering hourly court rentals, beginner clinics and terracotta-colored courts.
According to Lake Highlands Advocate, co-founder Alex Menzel left his job at Goldman Sachs to launch the venue, betting on a sport he had watched explode in popularity. Menzel grew up playing competitive tennis in Louisville, Kentucky, before attending Southern Methodist University in Dallas, where he worked as a hitting partner for the school's women's tennis team, and he went into finance after graduate school before deciding to build Serve & Sip instead.
Pickleball's Rapid Growth
The Sports & Fitness Industry Association describes pickleball as the fastest-growing sport in the United States over the past three years.
National numbers back up at least part of that claim. The Sports & Fitness Industry Association reported that 24.3 million Americans played pickleball in 2025, up from roughly 4.2 million players in 2020. The organization's data shows participation grew 171.8% between 2022 and 2025 alone, a surge that helps explain why Menzel saw an opening for a dedicated Dallas venue.
Serve & Sip currently has six indoor courts, with plans to eventually add outdoor courts and patio space, the Advocate reports. The courts themselves are terracotta-colored, a choice the club says honors the clay courts of the French Open.
Clinics, Leagues and a Frozen Skinny Margarita
Menzel said there is strong demand for beginner-level instruction, and the club offers pickleball clinics several times a week for players who are new to the sport, covering rules, strategy and technique. Structured league play is slated to launch in the coming months, adding a competitive track alongside the open court rentals already in place.
Beyond the courts, Serve & Sip functions as a broader social club, hosting mahjong nights and yoga or mobility classes. A weekly Wine Down Wednesday event offers three hours of open court play paired with half-off wine bottles.
Food and drink come courtesy of The Drop, a full-service bar and kitchen inside the club. The menu includes a Mediterranean bowl and a crispy chicken sandwich.
No Membership Required
Despite the club atmosphere, Serve & Sip's own website states that membership isn't mandatory to use the facility, noting that everyone is welcome to enjoy its courts, restaurant, bar and events. Guests can reserve courts.
Serve & Sip joins a growing lineup of indoor pickleball venues scattered across the Dallas area. PaperCity Magazine notes that The Grove in Dallas offers eight Championship-sized Pro-Cushion courts, while At Fault in Farmers Branch combines five indoor and four outdoor courts with two full-service bars and a restaurant. Westside, near Dallas Love Field, matches Serve & Sip's six-court count but leans into recovery amenities like a sauna and cold plunge, and Preston Playhouse, which opened near T Bar M Racquet Club in 2024, offers nine indoor courts for players chasing more court time across the metro.
