Editor's note: Este artículo está traducido al español.
Brigette Farwaha takes credit for introducing her uncle, Greg Louie, to the world of pickleball.
Brigette Farwaha
The pair had always shared a passion for athletics and had long been sporting partners, Farwaha said. Once they started learning about pickleball, they were hooked.
Greg Louie
Their love for the sport led them to compete on a pickleball reality show and launch a podcast called “Third Shot.”
“It’s been wonderful because it’s kept us in contact with one another and helped us grow our passion for the sport and for increasing the community around the sport,” said Farwaha, assistant director of facilities at UNLV’s Student Recreation & Wellness Center. “(That) led us to this new business idea of developing this pickleball facility.”
They are leading the charge for the expansion of indoor pickleball club franchise Dill Dinkers into the Las Vegas area. The duo are targeting 20 indoor locations across the region, Louie said, varying in number of courts.
While the uncle-niece pairing are planning to own and run their own Dill Dinkers, he continued, they are also franchising others. They expect Dill Dinkers to be open and active in Las Vegas by the first quarter of 2026, Louie said.
“Us being family — I think there’s that added motivation and juice that comes from that,” said Louie, founder and CEO of a marketing company. “I mean, we’re so vested in, obviously, each other and making this successful.”
The podcast introduced them to the many opportunities within the pickleball sphere, Louie said. That included business owners who talked about managing their facilities across the country.
“So we’ve had the opportunity to kind of dig in a little bit on what makes these indoor facilities work, or the challenges that they have and whether they should go with a franchise or go independently,” he said. “When we started doing the research on what we should do, it became really clear that Dill Dinkers was the best choice for us.”
Dill Dinkers provides an inclusive pickleball environment for all levels of players, Louie said, from beginners to pros. The indoor club has equipment on hand and offers lessons, for individuals or groups, clinics with pro instructors or players on tour, corporate events, tournaments and leagues, he said.
It also really focuses on enjoyment of the game, he added, and building community within its facilities.
“You’re greeted with smiles,” Louie said. “You’re going to have a good time. When you come to a Dill Dinkers location, whether it’s ours or any of the Dill Dinkers across the country right now, you are guaranteed to have a fantastic time because that’s our main focus. And I think that’s different than a lot of other places.”
Desert heat in Las Vegas can make outdoor courts untenable for players, Louie said, so it’s nice for them to have the opportunity to come into a temperature-controlled environment and play the sport they love — no matter the time of day, the season or strength of Nevadan winds.
“It’s pretty cool to be able to hear from other people in the community just how excited they are,” Farwaha said. “Because that’s really what’s driving us to open Dill Dinkers — is because we want to provide this service and this place for all these great people who want to play pickleball.”
One of the top professional pickleball tournaments annually is held in Las Vegas, Louie said. With many entertainment-golf venues growing in number in the city, he said, pickleball is something of a missing piece.
Travelers could pack their paddles and reserve their court before they even touch down in Las Vegas, he said.
“We just make it super easy for travelers to enjoy themselves,” he said.
When asked why she thinks pickleball has grown in its popularity, Farwaha said it is an innately inclusive sport, as well as low impact, with an easy learning curve and proven health benefits.
“I think that all of those combined (have) helped contribute to the growth of it,” she said. “And it’s just so much fun to play — getting out there and building those connections. There’s a great social aspect to the sport. It’s not just a solo sport. You’re out there with so many other people, sharing titles and sharing stories and just being able to connect.”