"Pingpong is the ultimate ice breaker on a first date."
Pingpong is out of the garage and into downtown nightlife as St. Petersburg joins the ranks of bigger cities with a nod toward an old game that's a growing hit in today's pop culture.
SPiN St. Pete, a pingpong social club with a restaurant, bar and competitive leagues for all ages, is opening this summer at Jannus Live. It is the fifth of the SPiN Galactic franchises, currently in New York, Milwaukee, Hollywood and Toronto.
"The target demographic is ages 21 to 35, though the New York club has proven pingpong has no age limit. Kids love to play, and so do seniors," said Terry Tomalin, a founding member of the St. Petersburg club and also the Outdoors editor of the St. Petersburg Times. Jeff Knight, owner of Jannus Live, and actor Susan Sarandon, Tomalin's sister and a founding partner of SPiN New York, are the other partners.
"It's a game where you don't have to be great to have fun," said Sarandon, who became an avid player several years ago through her teenage son. "Pingpong is the ultimate ice breaker on a first date."
The club, which will have at least six "Olympic-quality" pingpong tables, will occupy 6,000 square feet downstairs in Jannus Live. It will be open to the public but also offer memberships with perks such as half-price tables, reservations and invitations to special events, Tomalin said.
Read more at the St. Petersburg Times.