What Is Pickle Hall? Apple Valley's 18-Court Pickleball-and-Food-Hall, Explained
TLDR
Pickle Hall is a two-story indoor pickleball complex going up in Apple Valley's Central Village, at the northeast corner of 153rd Street and Garrett Avenue.
It'll have 18 indoor courts, a food hall with four vendors, and an 80-tap self-serve beer wall, plus patios and a rooftop deck.
The food lineup is locked in: North Star Deli, El Sazon, Habibi's Halal, and Traveler's Tea Co.
The developer is now targeting a late-summer / September 2026 opening.
Apple Valley's mayor name-dropped Pickle Hall at the 2026 State of the City, but he only gave it a sentence or two. So if you've been driving past the construction near Apple Autos and wondering what's actually going in there — here's the full picture.
What It Is
Pickle Hall is an indoor pickleball-meets-food-hall concept — part sports facility, part hangout. The pitch is simple: you can play a few games, then grab food and a beer without leaving the building. It's the kind of "courts plus curated food and drink" spot that's been popping up around the south metro, rather than the old-school gym with benches and a vending machine. (If you just want to play now, here's where to find pickleball year-round in the south metro.)
The building is two stories. The plans call for 18 indoor courts (some early documents said 16 — the count firmed up to 18 as the project moved forward), with a food hall taking up roughly a third of the space along the east side. That way diners can watch the action on the courts while they eat. There's also a pro shop, office space, a VIP lounge, and a gaming area.
A quick note on size: you'll see the building described as anywhere from 56,000 to 67,000 square feet depending on the source and how much outdoor patio is counted, per Minnesota Monthly's rundown. Either way, it's big — think a two-story box with patios opening to the east and a rooftop deck overlooking the courts.
Where It's Going
Pickle Hall is being built on a long-vacant 3.7-acre lot at the northeast corner of 153rd Street and Garrett Avenue — south of Apple Autos and east of the Apple Valley Post Office, between there and the GrandStay Hotel. That puts it right in Central Village, the city's walkable "new urbanist" downtown where people live, work, and play within a few blocks.
Parking is a mix: the site has its own roughly 160-space lot with access from Gallivant Place and Garrett Avenue, plus a city-operated 128-stall lot directly to the east. The front entrance faces north, away from busy 153rd Street — a detail the city planner highlighted to nearby apartment residents who had questions about noise and traffic.
The Food and Drink
This is the part that got the most recent attention. Pickle Hall announced its four food vendors, and three of them are existing Twin Cities favorites expanding to Apple Valley:
North Star Deli — a Minneapolis sandwich shop from the Kingfield neighborhood, known for chef Pedro Wolcott's carefully sourced takes on deli classics (and a wall of Minnesota hockey memorabilia).
El Sazon — an acclaimed local concept joining the lineup.
Habibi's Halal — a Mediterranean spot that opened in Spring Lake Park, serving gyro bowls, wraps, salads, sambusas, and more.
Traveler's Tea Co. — the developer's own concept, slinging loose-leaf tea, coffee, and pastries starting at 5 a.m. daily.
Then there's the headliner amenity: an 80-tap self-serve beer wall, where you pour your own and pay by the ounce. Add 300-ish outdoor patio seats, fire pits, and outdoor games, and it's clearly built to be a hangout as much as a place to play.
Who's Behind It
The developer is Randy Motilall of Inver Grove Heights-based Markid Properties. He grew up in the area and has pitched the project as a south-metro hub meant to serve the nearby apartments and hotels along with the broader Dakota County pickleball crowd. The design is by 10K Architecture, which lists the project as one of a wave of new build-outs in the area. It's part of a broader Apple Valley boom you can see in the city's 2025 development recap — and it's the headliner alongside Skyline Social in our look at the two big entertainment spots coming to town.
When It Opens
This one's been a moving target. Early on, the developer floated a December timeline, then "mid-2026." The most recent reporting points to a late-summer / September 2026 opening, at least for portions of the complex. Apple Valley's mayor, for his part, hedged toward late 2026 or early 2027 at the State of the City. Bottom line: aim for late 2026, and don't be shocked if pieces open in stages.
The Bottom Line
Pickle Hall is shaping up to be one of the bigger additions to Central Village in years — 18 courts, a real food hall with four solid vendors, and a pour-your-own beer wall, all walkable from the neighborhood's apartments. If you play pickleball, this is your new indoor home base. If you don't, it's still a food-and-drink destination with a view of people who do. Watch for a late-2026 opening.
FAQ
Where exactly is Pickle Hall? Northeast corner of 153rd Street and Garrett Avenue in Apple Valley's Central Village — south of Apple Autos, east of the post office, near the GrandStay Hotel.
How many courts will it have? 18 indoor pickleball courts across two stories.
What food will be there? Four vendors: North Star Deli, El Sazon, Habibi's Halal, and Traveler's Tea Co. (the developer's own coffee/tea/pastry concept).
When does it open? The developer is targeting late summer / September 2026, though that timeline has shifted before and some parts may open in stages.
Is there parking? Yes — about 160 spaces on-site plus a 128-stall city lot right next door.
