Entrepreneur Dwight Montgomery greets each customer at Bella’s Pickleball as they come through his door as a long-lost friend.

“My goal is to know every one of their names,” he said as players checked in before going to their pre-assigned court.

“I’m excited to see people having fun,” Montgomery said. “And customer service is paramount.”

Bella’s Pickleball, located at 7425 W. Clearwater Ave. in Kennewick, opened Oct. 1 with eight indoor courts.

In the last two years, a number of local and out-of-state entrepreneurs have made plans to build indoor pickleball facilities in the region.

Montgomery is the first to do it.

The transformation

The 30,000-square-foot building has an interesting history.

Longtime Tri-Citians may remember it once housed a roller-skating rink. It also was home to a church. 

The building once was home to Montgomery’s main business, Bella’s Office Furniture, until the pandemic hit and people began working from home. The market hasn’t fully recovered, but Montgomery still runs the furniture business and said it is doing well.

His longtime employee, Melissa Noel, is Bella’s main office space designer who meets with customers.

Montgomery cleared out the building’s office furniture and stored it in a warehouse in Pasco.

“So we made the conversion, and we do a lot of business through our website, bellasoffice.com,” he said.

After clearing out the space, the next question was what to do with it since the location sees a high volume of traffic on a daily basis.

It’s currently home to The Mystery Theatre, owned by Montgomery’s daughter Izzy, which is used for improv comedy, plays and live music. 

And half a dozen or so food trucks keep a brisk business in the parking lot.

Wise words

On the north wall, overlooking what Montgomery proudly calls his championship court, hangs a plaque. It shows a waterfall and reads:

In loving memory of Al Wise, August 4, 1942 – May 11, 2024.

Al’s generosity and warmth touched everyone he met.

May the games played here bring as much laughter and joy as he gave the world.

Wise was Noel’s father, and he loved pickleball.

“Al lived in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, and he would come to visit his daughter,” said Montgomery. “He’s the most kind-hearted person. He was into pickleball. He and his friend couldn’t find a place to play pickleball when they were here. He told me, ‘Dwight, you should turn this place into a pickleball facility.’”

That was in 2023. And it’s how the seed for the indoor pickleball court was planted.

Idea takes shape

Montgomery, who never really played pickleball, took the idea and ran with it.

Just to be sure, he talked with both the president and past president of local Club 509 Pickleball — Doug Jones and Paul Jones (no relation). He became convinced that the project would work.

“This was cheaper than turning it into a facility from the ground up,” Montgomery said. “We’ve spent $1.6 million on the facility remodel. It’ll be $3.5 million when it’s all said and done.”

The project “has been a process,” he admitted.

But with both of the Joneses’ help, he realized four things.

First, spare no expense when it comes to the courts by using an 11-step process to create soft floors. 

Second, make sure the club has availability.

“You only have a finite number of courts and hours,” Montgomery said.

Interested customers can find out membership options at bellaspickleball.com.

Though it is not yet 24/7, it will be. Right now, it is open from 8 a.m. to noon and 4-9 p.m. seven days a week.

Third, the courts need specific lighting. The walls, which were once all white, are now all black to allow players to pick up the ball easier when it’s hit with speed. The drop ceilings also were taken down, making the place lighter and more expansive looking.

And, fourth, “Have great customer service. I am very comfortable with that.”

There are a number of membership options ranging from $39 a month to $149 a month. Nonmembers also can pay to use the courts.

More amenities coming

The pickleball courts are the first phase. The next involves building a sports bar with a beer and wine tap wall. Customers will be able to use arm bands to pay. 

A number of televisions will be installed, and Montgomery hopes to have everything open by Super Bowl Sunday in February.

His idea is with seven food trucks out front, customers can order food there and then bring it in.

Golf simulators also will be installed.

In addition to the Mystery Theatre, which is tucked into a corner of the building, Montgomery wants to use the space to hold concerts for up to 2,000 music fans.

To do that, everything surrounding the pickleball courts – like the walls – is portable.

“We can turn everything around here in four hours,” he said. “There are not many event centers in the Tri-Cities. We just had a quinceañera here. We can seat 1,500. People always seem to go out of town for concerts and shows. I want to keep the entertainment dollars here.”

In all, the overall project could employ up to the equivalent of 15 full-time employees – and with concerts it could rise to 25.

Finally, the last phase involves more pickleball courts – only these will be outdoors. Montgomery has bought adjoining land behind the building and plans to build 10 outdoor courts down the road.

“I’m hoping to break ground next summer,” he said.

 Meanwhile, he’s focused on the indoor pickleball experience.

“We’re going to hold the Al Wise Tournament on his birthday,” Montgomery said. Proceeds will go to Humane Society, of which Wise was a big advocate.

With a steady stream of players coming in every day, Montgomery believes he’s found the right idea.

“I want this to be an entertainment center,” he said. “I’m a people pleaser. I like to make people happy. This is visionary.”

Bella’s Pickleball: 7425 W. Clearwater Ave., Kennewick, 509-735-9933, bellaspickleball.com.