Jack Eickhof (Chip’s Pickleball Club)

Jack Eickhof is the owner of Chip’s Pickleball Club in Eagan.

Originally from Grand Forks, North Dakota, Jack made his way to the Twin Cities after high school, enrolling at the University of Minnesota to study finance.

While on campus, Jack was a franchisee for a painting company.

He also founded a real estate media company, which he then sold seven years later.

Which brings us to summer 2023.

One night, he and some friends went to Lucky Shots Pickleball in NE Minneapolis.

“They [Lucky Shots] were the first real indoor pickleball club in the Twin Cities,” Jack says of the setting that would serve as a key catalyst in altering his life’s trajectory. 

“At the end of the hour [of playing], I was like, this is so much fun,” Jack recalls. 

He and his friends then left, but when he got to the parking lot, the universe beckoned him to further explore those feelings of joy, to the extent that Jack didn’t just have a lot of fun at Lucky Shots. 

He also wanted to replicate that experience, albeit on his own terms. 

“I needed to do this,” he says, the “this” being starting his own pickleball club. 

See, for Jack, starting a pickleball club isn’t as crazy as it may be for others. 

The son of an entrepreneur (his dad owned a construction company for 40 years), Jack has always been around decision-makers who are unafraid to bet on themselves.  

“I saw how my dad worked with his team, and we have always had conversations, and he’s coached me through a lot,” Jack says.

This isn’t to suggest that Jack wasn’t nervous about selling his real estate media company and starting Chip’s, but having already thrived in business ownership, angst quickly gave way to excitement about the immense possibilities that awaited. 

“There is a joy that comes from creating things,” Jack mentions, because most business owners don’t start a company just to get rich.

Rather, business ownership is often about building something far more substantial that can be appreciated by people for years to come. 

In the case of Jack and Chip’s, his legacy isn’t about how many pickleball courts he can build for the general public.

Instead, it’s about community.  

“I have focused really hard on building a community,” he says. 

“It feels like a lot of people say that, but our people are everything here.”

Adds Jack:

“It really starts with our staff because they are the center of our community. They really bring positive energy.”

Of note:

Since opening in 2023, Chip’s has maintained nearly all their staff, a testament to the culture fostered by Jack.

“Our staff knows everybody by name,” he notes.

This isn’t fiction. 

I’ve only been to the facility a handful of times, but Stephanie, the woman working at the front desk, has already made a concerted effort to learn my name.

“People can just come here and be comfortable. I think that’s important,” Jack emphasizes as we relax in the lounge after a couple hours spent participating in an open play where the vibe is both competitive and respectful.

With the aforementioned twelve courts, as well as a workout area, coffee shop, sauna, and cold plunge, Chip’s caters to seasoned 4.0s looking to elevate their game, and novices who simply want to experience the game without the pressure of performance. 

“We have all the recovery tools in order to have a healthy body and mind,” Jack says.

Looking ahead, Jack is in no rush to expand on what he has already built, despite one player telling me that the club is the “most competitive” in the state. 

“I don’t plan to build another Chip’s,” he shares.

“There have been other opportunities with developers, but I like what we have going on here.”

With two kids at home, one Chip’s is enough for the Grand Forks native.

“I’m enjoying this so far, and I want to maximize this club,” Jack says. QS

**

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