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It was more of a snack bar. We wanted to
make it more of a restaurant." Since Joel's
experience in indoor sports has focused
on kids, he tends to consider the business
from their perspective. The way he sees it, a
restaurant would more likely attract parents
and children; families would more likely stay
for dinner after practices and games if they
had healthy choices. "The more kids come into
your facility"
– whether
it's someone
friend or
brother or
sister –
"the more
your facility
grows."
The snack
bar evolved
into Replay
Café, where
players could
eat and watch their game, which was
played on a TV screen there. Recently,
the café has become a more upscale BBQ
restaurant, which is, of course, a business in
and of itself. PIGS complements the facility,
and both businesses thrive.
Joel has also been involved with the renovation
and reorganization of the upper level of the
facility, which includes a sports training room
and futsal court; youth basketball and adult
wiffle ball also take place there. "The goal right
now is to use the upstairs exclusively for youth
programming," says Joel, who has expanded
programs like soccer, baseball and basketball
to include kids as young as three. It is, after
all, the young ones whose programs can help
fill daytime hours.
The number of birthday parties the facility
hosts has increased. "When I started, we
were doing 25 birthday parties a year; I
was used to doing 8-10 birthday parties a
day on a weekend." Frederick Indoor Sports
