Subscribe
Share
Share
Embed
Padel Smash TV is the media arm of Padel Smash - a platform dedicated to the people, stories, and innovation driving the growth of Padel worldwide.
On this channel you’ll find racket reviews, player interviews, club features, industry conversations, and original shows that explore both the sport and the business behind it. Our goal is to spotlight the players, brands, entrepreneurs, and communities shaping the future of padel.
Padel Smash is built on four pillars:
• Padel Smash TV – original content and storytelling from across the padel world
• Padel Smash Pro Shop – a curated e-commerce platform featuring gear tested by our team
• Padel Smash Clubs – community-driven clubs designed to grow the game locally
• Padel Smash Academy – coaching education, training, and player development programs
Together, these pillars connect content, community, education, and equipment to support the continued growth of padel.
Subscribe and follow along as we cover the sport from every angle.
We have, uh, six paddle courts
and we have three pickleball.
I mean, so far works great
because pickleball is very
popular in California, right?
So a lot of people, they come, they
play pickleball, they are curious
about the paddle tennis courts.
They test them and then they never
go back to, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Of course.
That, that's very, very common.
Hey, Pablo family.
We are on a road trip visiting all paddle
clubs in the west coast of the United
States, and right now we are all the
way south in San Diego, California, and
we're specifically at Kingdom of Paddle.
And here we have Fernando Sotelo, the
one of the co-founders and owners of, uh,
kingdom Aala was welcome to the channel.
So please tell us a little
bit about your paddle journey.
How did you get involved into
this business and when did
you start playing battle?
Sure.
Um, well, I, I live here
in San Diego, California.
I play paddle long time ago, but I used
to play very, uh, uh, a, a material level.
Um, I used to go every weekend to acap
and that's where my family own a house.
The birthplace of Paro.
Yeah, exactly.
Exactly.
But never, never, like, uh, understood.
Strategy or anything like that?
It was more social for me.
Uh, in, in San Diego, I started,
uh, playing like a year ago, uh,
a little bit more consistently.
And, uh, and I had the opportunity
to meet my, my partner Chico.
Uh, he invited me to be
part of this project.
Uh, we started this, uh, new facility in.
June, July.
So now prior to that, what were,
what were you doing professionally?
I, I mean, my, my business
has nothing to do with data.
Nothing.
I'm, I'm in real estate.
Yep.
Eh, that's what I do.
I, I work, uh, sales, uh, development.
It's commercial real estate.
I'm with a large font.
So that, that may, that probably helped
acquiring the location then, right.
Not really, really, because
I mean, we do, uh, that's the
hardest thing, the location.
Yeah.
Yeah, yeah.
I, and it help us with the, with
the negotiations on of the lease
and all that, because what I do
is, is more commercial real estate.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Uh, but to be honest, I, I was
like consistently playing in
the, uh, with my partner Chico.
At some point he was like,
Hey, there's this opportunity.
Would you like to join?
What opportunity?
To be part of this, of this new project.
Okay.
So now when I came last year or the
year before, there was King of Paddle
and it was on the other location.
And I see that name has changed
and the location has changed,
but the logo still stay the same.
Did you acquire that business
or how did, how did that work?
Uh.
There.
My partner, Chico, he used to own,
uh, with another three partners.
Okay.
Uh, two facilities.
One in San Antonio, okay.
And one in San Diego.
So they decided to split, uh.
The other three partners kept
the San San Antonio facility.
Okay.
And she's co kept the San Diego.
Okay.
How about the move, uh, was just a
lease up or you're able to find a
better location or what you, you know,
the other, the other facility, the
issue was the, the height of the roof.
Yeah.
There were like a lot of
complaints about that.
Uh, so one day we found
this, uh, location.
We saw the roof and we were
like, where can we sign?
Yeah.
Uh, now, did you still have a signed lease
with them or were you able to get out?
We, we were able to, well, they
were able to terminate the lease.
Okay.
Uh, with the other facility.
Okay.
Eh, we have been, um, uh, in a great
partnership with Harley Davidson,
which is who is, uh, how facing,
how, what's the partnership look like
between how, I mean, they, they rent
us the space, so we have a, I mean.
Their employees all the time.
And here, did you, did you, did
they give you a new Harleys once
you, once you signed the lease?
No.
No.
Right.
I I asked for it, but they Yeah, you
try to negotiate that, so didn't happen.
Right.
So I see some of the same
courts that were over there.
Right.
And, and they're very unique to the club.
They're like that purple, uh, turf.
Uh, what brand of, uh, of, of what
manufacturer are is that the quartz, um.
I believe we order the, the
most of it came from China.
China.
Okay.
Even the new ones.
The okay.
The new one.
Okay.
Uh, and yeah, we, we, we try to make
like a fun, eh, combination of colors
that go with the, with the brand.
Okay.
And with our colors.
So we have the pink one at the very end.
Right.
Uh, which is great when we do open place.
Yeah.
Uh, that's supposed to be
like the top of the Yeah.
Of the, of the open play.
And then we have the
outside, which are purple.
Right?
Right.
Uh, everything in the middle is black.
Uh, so far.
I mean, you guys play in the courts
and, and I think the, we played well.
Yes.
Great.
And we we're happy with the,
definitely with the end process.
So now it's you and, uh, Chito, right?
Correct.
As the two partners, did
you guys bootstrap this?
Did you raise some funds or, or what
did you guys, how did you guys, uh.
Uh, uh, finances and we just, uh,
came up with the funds ourselves.
It's a bootstrap.
We have no, uh, no debt.
Uh, so no pressure.
Right, right.
So why don't you talk to us about
how many courts you guys have here?
We have a six title courts and, uh, and
we have three pickable courts, eh, which.
So far works great because, uh, pickleball
is very popular in California, right?
So a lot of people, they come, they
play pickleball, they're curious
about the pal tennis courts.
They test them and then they never
go back to Yeah, yeah, of course.
That, that's very, very common.
Yes.
Are you point to turn over the pickleball
courts into paddle or, you know, at the
end of the day, you know, pickleball
is pretty much free, where, you know.
A much more premium sport.
Right.
What, what is your idea for that?
You know, I think it's
gonna end up happening.
Uh, there's, there's so many pickleball
courts in, in California, uh, parks.
You can play pickleball, uh, and,
and, and the paddle community here
in San Diego is growing, uh, a lot.
So we are starting to see open place for.
We're using the six ports and,
and definitely if we have eight
courts, they will be used.
So, so, and, and let me ask you, you are,
you guys are pretty much the only indoor
paddle club here in San Diego, correct?
Why?
I mean, it doesn't rain that much here.
Why?
Why taking the high least risk,
you know, uh, risk of going indoors
instead of outdoors, um, you know.
Uh, first of all, we feel very comfortable
with the, with the list that we signed.
Uh, but even though doesn't rain
that much, there's a lot of fog.
Mm uh, humidity in the mornings.
You cannot play with the glasses.
All fogy, even if it's not raining, uh,
it's, there's wind.
Eh, there's a lot of
sun during the summer.
Yeah.
People really, really
appreciate our facility.
We have vents, we have a AC facility,
so it's super comfortable to play here.
Yeah.
And, and people is recognizing that,
and in theory, I mean, PA should,
should be playing indoors because you
guarantee the core time regardless
of the weather control environment.
Exactly.
So when we do the open place, you
have like the highest over there,
but then you have the floor.
Indoor and then the pressure is
starting to lose because then you
know you're gonna be playing outside
and that's like the punishment.
So have you thought about
covering those, the ones outdoors?
Yes.
Okay.
That's, uh, that's something we
have, uh, consider of consider.
Um, um, maybe something,
how is the ceiling?
S uh, I don't know how
high you think it is.
I'm so bad.
Uh, gotta be over 30.
Yeah, over 30.
Over 30.
I mean, it's pretty high.
You hit some good bulbs and
we, you hit the ceiling.
Definitely.
It's, uh, I mean, if you hit this,
this ceiling is, and I love the
way it is, you know, sort of like,
uh, you got the highest point
right in the middle where, exactly.
Exactly.
I mean, finding a place like this
anywhere in the united difficult
states, it's, it's, it's, it's golden.
So talk to us about the other
amenities, because I see here golf
simulators, restaurant workout.
Well talk to us a little bit about that.
Yeah, it's, um, I mean, at the beginning
this space was a warehouse, eh, so we
completely changed everything and, and,
and we had the, we wanted to do like a,
an a space to gather community, because
I think this is, if you ask anyone
in San Diego, what's the difference
between us and the, and the rest
of the facilities is the community.
Mm. So this is the only place
where you come, people, eh, have
beers, eh, have a, a good lunch.
A good dinner, eh, and then
we have the space, uh, extra.
That was ideal for, for
golf simulators, eh?
So, so we have the, the sports bar.
We have three.
Three golf simulator, we
have three golf simulators.
We have the three pickleball courts.
We have an area downstairs also that we
are opening now for, uh, fitness Studio.
Oh, okay.
So we're going to start giving, um,
Pilates, uh, yoga, eh, all, all type of,
uh, fitness, uh, and I, and I see the
restaurant has pretty interesting menu.
I mean, it's pretty complete menu.
Yeah.
You have a side bowls, you have,
you know, chicken wings, burgers.
Exactly.
We, we try to put like a healthy.
Piece of the, of, of, of the menu.
For, for, I was looking
the people in the morning.
I was looking the tacos.
Well than pans.
You have in pans, you have APAs.
That's where So Michel too.
So mic.
So, so what we try to do is
incorporate the, like we have
a clientele from Venezuela.
Argentinians, like, and
everybody's, Hey, I do in Pana.
Hey, bring them over.
Uh, let's do international menu.
Yes.
Now I saw a workout area over there.
You also have that we have the gym.
Exactly.
We have, uh, locker rooms.
Showers.
Showers.
Nice.
Uh, so yeah, the idea is to,
to capture the whole market.
Like the, the, the person coming in
the morning, uh, before going to work.
They can come play, take a shower,
go back to work, lifestyle.
Exactly.
Then, uh, we have some open
place, uh, that are getting great.
Um, at lunchtime and then
normally after four o'clock.
I see.
Now all the course are pretty much
taken and it's, well, it's 3, 3 15.
I mean, it's great.
I mean, you know, if you go to somewhere
else in, you know, in Miami or any
other places, it's very difficult to
to feel that middle of the day gap.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
And, and, and we have, um, if
you see, we have, for example,
uh, a combination of games.
And, and also we have, uh, instructors,
uh, we bring this, uh, Celeste Pass,
which uh, used to be the number six
player in the world at the Premier League.
Uh, and she's completely busy.
Uh, you saw her giving classes
with a tennis rack, which
it was kind, kind of funny.
Yeah.
Someone she was, it was driving him crazy.
It was like five, eight times,
you know what I'm saying?
Yeah.
She is all day long giving classes.
So for, for her arm, uh, she, she likes
to give classes with a tennis racket,
but, uh, because she's also training
and she's gonna be competing at the.
SPA And what, what other
co coaches do you have?
We have, um, six coaches.
Eh, and we have all levels.
Definitely Celeste passes,
like the, the highest level.
We're trying to put like a, a, a
competitive team of all ages to
represent us in the Pan-American
games and things like that.
Uh, which she's going to be taken care of.
But, um, we have coaches for kids.
We have, uh, intermediate, all levels.
So let's talk about, um, cost.
Uh, do you guys have, is this, it
is members and non-members, and
what is the, is what is the pay to
play and what are the cost here?
Yeah, it's, uh, pay to play.
Okay.
We have, uh, different memberships.
Oh, you do?
Okay.
Uh, and, and basically.
These are, um, affordable memberships that
will give you a bunch of, uh, discounts.
So, so we have the very basic one.
Uh, that's gonna give you like
20% discount every, every time
you book a quart, eh, you'll
have a discount on Open Place.
Okay?
Uh, you will have a discount.
On, uh, the beer.
On the beer?
Yeah.
Eh, the golf simulators.
The golf simulators.
Exactly.
What's the cost of that membership?
What is that called?
That that's, uh, $49 a month.
A month.
Wow.
Period.
Yeah.
So it's, it's, it's not gonna hurt you,
but definitely if you play enough three,
four times a week, you are gonna recover.
So what's the next membership?
The next one goes to 79 and, and
we start increasing the perks on,
on each membership, for example.
On that membership, you can,
um, reserve ahead of time.
Okay.
Which is really handy.
Yeah.
If you play between floor
and 10:00 PM Prime time.
Yeah, exactly.
Uh, is there, is there a membership
that it's uh, all you can play?
All you can play?
We have one.
Yes.
How much is that?
That's, uh, 500.
It's good.
All you can play.
That's great.
And includes what?
Everything, everything.
Free beer too, right?
But it all, you can play for
free, but all you can play.
All you can eat.
If, if you wanna do clinics on lessons
that has a special, this one too or
not, uh, yeah, you pay for the lessons.
You pay, you pay extra, but you
are going to have a discount.
Okay?
So now if you not on, on the, if you're
not a member, uh, what is the cost?
Pay to play for an hour
and a half in prime time.
Uh.
It's $90 for an hour and a half for it.
Yes.
One hour and a half.
One hour and a half.
It, it's on, on the, on the prime time.
One hour.
One hour and a, uh, that's $60?
Yes.
Wow.
That's very, so, $90
for an hour and a half.
Indoors.
Indoors.
That's very, I mean that very reasonable.
Yeah, I, I heard that Miami is, uh,
I think that's on the price there.
I think.
What, 20 20, 22 bucks or 23
bucks, something like that.
I mean, compared to Miami,
it, it's 30 40% in discount.
No, I mean, I know off.
That's great.
I mean, yeah, that's, that's
very competitive price.
You must have got a
great deal on this lease.
Yeah.
Not a good deal.
We're quite happy.
So, you know, a very big
component when playing paddle.
It's, you know, coffee and, and beer.
I know it says you had a coffee.
Give us from one to 10.
What do you think about the coffee here?
Was it good?
It was good.
Yes.
Yeah, it wa good.
It wasn't the best,
best, one of the worst.
It was acceptable.
Outward.
Again, it's interesting.
He's very picky on the I am.
We.
Oh, we are, are, this is
a, this is a local brand.
Yeah.
Eh, supporting a local.
Yeah.
You know?
Exactly.
And, and, uh, for me it's
my favorite, uh, bean.
Yeah.
Uh, beans or like wine.
It's a personal or rackets.
Yeah, it's a personal preference.
There's no better or worse.
It's just what you like.
Right?
Exactly.
Exactly.
So, so we're happy we, we decided not to
go the barista route because I mean, we
have so many things going on on the club.
Of course.
Also an automatic machine.
It's just a lot easier.
Yes.
But, but we have a good one and Yeah.
And, and we have, we like to promote, uh.
Like free coffees in the morning, for
example, for man, this is, this is great.
I mean, I've never seen over here it's
very reasonable, the prices and stuff.
Yeah.
I mean, Miami you won't
get free nothing, you know?
That's great.
Yeah.
And so you provide beers
and, and and all that, right?
So you have beer, so just
beers and wine license.
Right, exactly.
Okay.
Yeah.
So, and, and, uh, tell us a
little bit about your tournaments.
You do weekly tournaments.
You do, uh, what type of clinics?
You know, we haven't done any tournaments
because we're brand new and, uh, and we
wanted to open first to understand the
operation, attract the market, all that.
So we're now at the point where we feel
comfortable and we're planning the first
tournament for the, for the club, which is
going to be all also our official opening.
Eh, so as soon as we have the first
tournament, you guys are, yeah.
Super invited.
Oh yeah, for sure.
Do just send out the private plane.
Perfect.
Now, uh, when did you
guys officially open here?
We opened, eh, at the end of September.
Oh, so it hasn't been
six months yet, right.
So, yeah.
Yeah, yeah.
Oh, super nice.
And what platform are you guys using?
Platonic or play by pla.
Gotcha.
Yeah.
How do you like go.
Did you use that over there at the other?
We used that one.
Uh, everybody's obsessed with
the, the, the, with the rating.
Yes.
Yeah.
They, they have the lockdown.
Yeah.
Yeah.
And you can use internationally too.
They use it in Spain and Exactly.
You, you travel, you,
you can go everywhere.
They find the same level.
So, so it's, it's really popular.
Very easy to, and you have
all that as parking, right?
Correct.
No, that's great.
Parking too.
We have really good parking.
What are the opening hours of the club?
We open, um, at eight and
we close, uh, midnight.
Wow.
Eh, do you have people playing
at, uh, 10, 11 o'clock?
Yes.
And, and strangely, I mean,
you guys are opening at eight.
You don't have any, any crowd.
At 7:00 AM we.
We just decided to, to open at eight
because we were opening before at seven.
I think we're going back to open at
seven because there's that market that,
that I was mentioning at the beginning
that wants to get a, a game done and
then a shower and get back, go to work.
So let me ask you, how many
members do you guys have now?
We have, uh, like, um, 150.
And what, what's the goal?
Uh, you know, the membership.
It's not what we focus, uh, we,
we actually don't do a lot of work
because people, uh, work paid to
place or, uh, people is, comes here.
Some, some people that you see
here every day, for example, they
are not paying the membership.
Uh, so, so we are not a member
chef, family, really the model.
No, I know, I know other clubs.
They want to rely on that.
Uh, so let me ask you a
question, a business question.
Uh, when do you think the return on
investment will be and then are, when
do you think you'll be in the black?
Uh, we, good question already.
Black.
Excellent.
Yeah.
Why on that?
Uh, break even excellent points.
Excellent, excellent.
That's what, A few months?
Yes.
I mean, do you think it's, because,
I mean, you've already had the, the.
The following from the community,
from the other location?
Yes.
It wasn't, it wasn't
like a brand new opening.
We, we already had the market.
Eh, it also helped that, uh.
The months that we opened are
the, the few months of the
year in San Diego that rains.
Ah, so a lot of people came here to try it
and then they like it, and That's right.
They stay.
How about the RROI when you think the
return on investment will be honest?
It's a, it's a three and a
half, two and a half years.
Yeah, that's about right.
Yeah.
Well, that's great.
Next.
Fernando, is there anything else
that you wanna add to, to, to the I?
No, thank you.
I, I mean you guys, uh, need to
give you a revenge for that game
that you guys dear us Barry.
Yeah.
Yeah.
But, uh, so happy to meet you
guys and hopefully we can.
Fernando, pleasure.
See you, sir. Congratulations.
Congratulations.
Thank you.