Executive Summary
Chicken N Pickle has combined the freshest farm-to-table food with America’s fastest-growing sport, pickleball, to create an entertainment experience that has a truly unique personality. Now, with a new brand style and architectural model created by Populous, the concept has taken off in a host of new locations, with more to come.
Founded in North Kansas City in 2016, Chicken N Pickle has created a distinctive experience that revolves around America’s fastest-growing sport: pickleball. Offering an eclectic mix of sport, entertainment, and community-driven dining, Chicken N Pickle’s venues have become wildly popular.
To keep pace with rapid growth, Populous was tasked with reimagining the design and architectural model for Chicken N Pickle. Central to Chicken N Pickle’s ethos is a commitment to quality, sustainability and community support. That means everything on the brand’s menu — from quarter roasted chickens and BBQ pork to fresh salads and desserts — is crafted with locally sourced ingredients from family farms. Our challenge was to create a versatile, people-centered environment that reflected these core values, while also providing visually striking and functional spaces.
The new design takes its inspiration from the classic American town square, a space historically known for bringing communities together. At the heart of each new Chicken N Pickle venue is a central, tree-lined courtyard designed to be the hub of activity and social interaction. This multi-dimensional space is fully adaptable, capable of transforming throughout the year to accommodate all kinds of activities.
Submitting Organization: Populous
Photo Credits: Sam Fentress
Detailed Nomination
Chicken N Pickle is an indoor/outdoor entertainment complex combining a casual, chef-driven restaurant and sports bar with pickleball courts and a variety of yard games. We were tasked with reimagining the new Chicken N Pickle prototype, which includes the creation of a new brand style, design and architectural model that is meant to be replicated through their national expansion. The new brand look will accelerate Chicken N Pickle from nine locations to more than 20, allowing them to keep pace with the cultural pickleball phenomenon, the fastest-growing sport in America.
It was imperative to elevate the guest experience while also capturing the spirit of the brand that has made them so successful. Our approach led to thoughtful design solutions that emphasize Chicken N Pickle’s core values such as family friendly, healthy farm to table food offerings from local farms, and community outreach.
Chicken N Pickle is known for their high-quality dining experience, so it was crucial to maintain their high standards as we reimagined the brand. The design was approached holistically from the site design, architecture and interiors to the details in the logo, graphic signage and wayfinding. We reorganized the site to resemble the layout of an old farmstead and proposed a series of simple buildings that are modern interpretations of traditional barn forms. This new prototype consists of five key offerings: the restaurant, the indoor club with six pickleball courts, the game pavilion with four open-air courts, the canteen (a retail and micro-kitchen with an outdoor grill) and an open yard. As part of a cost-savings strategy and to maintain brand consistency, each building features the same modular grid, so the prototype can easily grow or shrink based on site conditions for each new developed location.
Our design combines Chicken N Pickle’s farm-to-table offerings with an eye toward community and togetherness. To maximize visibility and engagement for all guests, the design takes inspiration from the American town square, arranging all activations around a central tree-lined courtyard at the heart of the experience. Meant to be the center of the shared guest experience, the yard functions as a multidimensional space that can transform throughout the year for outdoor games, live music, watch parties, winter ice skating and more.
We added a new mezzanine level in the restaurant building to allow for visibility to the activity below, and an adjacent private room with custom millwork and soaring wood ceilings. Another new feature is the show court, where patrons can become spectators to special pickleball events from the comfort of the restaurant.
Interiors are infused with elements that nod to Chicken N Pickle’s roots — a modern take on a rural barn vernacular, embodying a “low tech/high touch” spirit. Populous has artfully blended rustic charm with contemporary design elements, creating warm, welcoming spaces that feel both familiar and new. The refined interiors feature handmade wooden ceiling structures, natural materials, and spaces that embody a feeling of togetherness, from large communal tables to private dining areas.
For an impactful interior design with cost-conscious solutions, we streamlined the palette of materials and leaned into the new brand standards that we created. Local artists hand painted graphic murals throughout the property. We integrated interesting lighting solutions and brand activations to further reinforce the playful nature of the Chicken N Pickle experience.
