The long-awaited full opening of the Pickle Palace in downtown Cedar Rapids is imminent.
After a series of invitation-only “soft opening” events Jan. 4-6, the first floor of the three-story Pickle Palace entertainment complex is expected to fully open to the public by Jan. 12, lead developer Graig Cone said.
The first floor of the $17 million, 37,455-square-foot complex at 101 First Ave. SW includes four indoor pickleball courts, as well as a full-service bar and restaurant and a merchandise space.
By Jan. 26, Mr. Cone said he hopes to fully open the third floor space, which includes six duckpin bowling lanes and a rooftop pub and lounge, along with an outdoor seating area overlooking the downtown Cedar Rapids skyline.
And the second floor is expected to open two weeks thereafter, featuring an event space (dubbed Crown Hall) and a balcony bar overlooking the pickleball courts.
Even after more than a year of construction work, the phased opening of the Pickle Palace has come down to a race to the finish line, Mr. Cone said.
“This is crazy time,” he said. “It’s kind of like opening three restaurants at one time, you know, maybe even more, because we’ve got three levels of kitchens and restaurants. Then throw the pickleball in there, plus the duckpin, and it’s kind of a monster to get over the (finish) line.”
Mr. Cone said he’s aware of the community’s anticipation for the Pickle Palace opening, joining the recently-opened Big Grove Brewery in the burgeoning Kingston Yard development at First and First West. He said he hopes the “soft opening” events have adequately prepared the staff for serving the initial rush of customers next week.
“It is wrapping up now, but it’s a tricky thing,” he said. “Cedar Rapids is known for just pouncing on new restaurants, and you want your staff to be ready. Just like any other job, It takes a little while to ramp up to full speed, so sometimes, if things ramp up slowly, it’s better. We’ve had restaurants before that we didn’t even announce – we just literally turned the lights on and opened in one night.”
Learn more about the Pickle Palace, including its offerings and details on opening dates, go to the PIckle Palace website at www.playpicklepalace.com
