A vast urban country club has been erected around the fastest-growing sport in the nation: St. Pete Athletic Paddle & Social opened its doors to the public Dec. 19 at The Factory in St. Petersburg’s Warehouse Arts District.

The spot is centered around pickleball, but it’s primarily a social club. With a full-service restaurant and three bars, the space offers paddle sports in an environment integrated with local art and also caters to a membership clientele.

Soho House, the members-only club founded in London in 1995, was an inspiration, said partner and owner Jarrett Sabatini.

“We’ve designed it in a way that it feels very comfortable, very lived in, this lifestyle sort of space,” Sabatini said. He also owns Intermezzo and Bar Mezzo in downtown St. Pete.

Patrons can have drinks and food at the pickleball courts or sit in the dining area for a full-service meal after playing. They can wrap up with cocktails or coffee, hear some live music, then stroll through a shop — no membership needed. (Before you venture in, check the St. Pete Athletic app for court availability if you want to play a game.)

“The biggest thing is that we’re open to the public. We want to be a big community place, whether you are a member or not,” said partner and managing operator Reuben Pressman.

The spot also offers memberships for $250 per month, which includes exclusive amenities (like unlimited use of the gym) and invites to member-only events.

Rose’s Dining & Drinks is the food and beverage arm of St. Pete Athletic, and country club classics are the food menus’ theme. It is run by Sabatini and his team of partners. Rose’s currently offers breakfast and all-day food menus, with plans to roll out dinner and late-night menus soon, Pressman said.

Dishes such as Caesar salad with boquerones ($17), shrimp cocktail with Gulf shrimp ($20) and a house-brined turkey club ($22) are on the all-day menu. For breakfast you can grab a breakfast sando ($15) or a yogurt and granola bowl ($13). They also have a full coffee bar in a cafe setting. The restaurant is fully open to the public and serves the whole facility.

“We designed the restaurant and the food and beverage to really stand on its own,” Sabatini said. “This is a country club and the restaurant is the main draw.”

There are over 500 seats from which you can order food and drinks, Pressman said.

The main restaurant bar is the nucleus of the whole space, Sabatini said. Cocktails include The Garden Spritz with Florida strawberry-infused Aperol, basil eau du vie, sparkling rose and club soda ($16); and a Santo Paloma with Don Fulano Blanco Tequila, Vida Mezcal, poblano pepper liqueur, grapefruit juice, lime juice and agave ($18). The club will also carry wine, non-alcoholic drinks and some exclusive cocktails only available to members.

In partnership with St. Pete’s Green Bench Brewing Co., the club pours a custom American ale, Courtside ($7), among other draft selections from the brewery. The beer program is run by St. Pete Athletic partner and Green Bench owner Nathan Stonecipher.

Memberships, which were capped at 800, are sold out for now. The ownership team plans to remain flexible and open up more memberships as they increase capacity. Phase two of the project is expected to be completed by the end of January, and will add six more pickleball courts (bringing the total to 14) and two padel courts, Pressman said.

“Do you know what’s interesting is, half our members don’t play, they signed up to just be part of the club,” Pressman said. “Have a new community of people, enjoy the different social and entertainment events and take advantage of all the other amenities.”