Blue Zone Courts co-founder Joyce Telmo-Kanti built Canada’s first dedicated indoor and outdoor pickleball and padel facility around team culture, coaching quality and player retention.
When the closest pickleball courts are 30 minutes away, avid pickleball players tend to wish there was something closer. That was the case for Joyce Telmo-Kanti and her reasoning for opening Blue Zone Courts in Burlington, Canada.
After getting an injury playing tennis, Telmo-Kanti was looking for a new sport to play. She found pickleball and the rest was history.
“In the beginning, I was like ‘no, I don’t want to open a pickleball facility. That’s not me, I’m not the business owner type,’” said Telmo-Kanti. “But I realized there was a need for this. I had to drive 30 minutes away to go to the only dedicated pickleball facility at the time. I just wanted to fulfill the need that I, myself, had for great courts and people to play with.”
Blue Zone Courts in Burlington became the first dedicated indoor and outdoor pickleball and padel facility in Canada. Their flagship location has 15 courts in total — eight indoor pickleball, two indoor padel, three outdoor pickleball and two outdoor padel — with a second location planned in Toronto.
The facility’s decision to host both pickleball and padel was something that Telmo-Kanti and her co-founders believed just made sense. Her co-founder Jesko Frommeyer is an avid padel player.
“Padel is the fastest growing sport in the world,” said Telmo-Kanti. “Pickleball on the other hand is the fastest growing sport in North America.”
Although people members are coming to Blue Zone to play pickleball, the team is finding that more and more players are interested in learning to play padel. Telmo-Kanti said she’s seen more people from the tennis and squash world coming in after injuries and other circumstances and picking up padel because the rules are similar and it’s less strenuous than some other racquet sports.
“It’s been almost two years and we’re really growing the community,” said Telmo-Kanti. “We want to expand and grow our Blue Zone experience, starting with Toronto. It’s not a franchise. It’s the same team, same vision, same operational excellence.”
Telmo-Kanti explained that at first the brand was looking to franchise, even offering up an interest form on their website, but found that typical franchising isn’t what they really wanted.
“We’re thinking now about franchising as more of a joint venture partnership,” explained Telmo-Kanti. “We want to make sure that the quality and experience is the same. We’re very thoughtful about how we expand and grow because we want to be the ones running it.”
The reasoning behind that, according to Telmo-Kanti, is that the brand wants to preserve its culture as much as possible. Their culture, she said, is what makes the facility so unique.
“It’s about playing, growing, improving, connecting and finding a community of like-minded players who love pickleball and padel as much as you do,” said Telmo-Kanti. “It’s your third space. It’s knowing that this is where you belong.”
In order to build that, Telmo-Kanti explained she started with her team. At Blue Zone Courts, they want the best of the best for their members and players.
“We get the best coaches, and not just best meaning top players in Canada, but people who know how to teach and guide you and progress you from beginner to confidently playing,” said Telmo-Kanti.
The way they build those players is intentional as well. The facility has a beginner program called the Blue Zone Starter where players can sign up, with no experience, and receive a one-hour intro lesson. Once that’s complete, those players are automatically signed up for beginner sessions – two for padel, four for pickleball.
“It’s really to give players more chances to get in and introduce them to the community,” said Telmo-Kanti.
They built up club amenities that way, too. Telmo-Kanti said the team looked at what the players need outside of playing and connection. The facility features a café, bar and lounge, and gym.
“We’ve been looking for opportunities to just round out what helps the player,” said Telmo-Kanti.
When it came to her advice for running a club, Telmo-Kanti believes owners really need to be invested in it.
“Being a business owner is very different from working in an office,” said Telmo-Kanti. “It’s 24/7. And it’s not just about making money, it’s about providing a place for everyone to enjoy. I’m taking it personally because I want to do it well.”
She also emphasized finding what will make players stay.
“See who your competitors are, how much they’re offering, be competitive and ask what would make them stay,” said Telmo-Kanti. “It’s not acquisition of the customer, it’s retention.”
Telmo-Kanti explained how she believes the brand wouldn’t be where it is without her team.
“It’s our team that created the vibe and community feel and gives the service that’s needed for members and players to enjoy Blue Zone Courts,” she said. “Of course, our courts and facilities are great, but really the heart of our success is our team.”
Ultimately, Telmo-Kanti’s goal with Blue Zone Courts is to help spread the love of the sport.
“I’m really hoping that pickleball and padel will grow exponentially in all of Canada and North America,” said Telmo-Kanti. “We’re excited to be a part of that experience.”
Blue Zone Courts is just one example of where the industry is headed. As more courts open across Canada and the U.S., simply having a facility isn’t enough — players are staying where the community feels real and the experience keeps them coming back. Telmo-Kanti’s approach to growth, one built on culture and retention rather than speed, is a model other operators may want to watch as the sport keeps expanding.
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Jordan Meek is a staff writer for Pickleball Innovators, where she covers the rapidly evolving business of pickleball — from facility growth and technology to player experience and industry strategy. A graduate of Denison University with a degree in Journalism, she joined Peake Media in 2025 and brings a passion for storytelling and curiosity to every piece. Jordan is driven to spotlight the leaders shaping the sport and uncover insights that help operators thrive in the fastest-growing game in America. Reach her at jordan@peakemedia.com.
