Pure Padel's new York venue adds alcohol licence bid

Pure Padel Clubs Ltd has moved closer to opening its York venue after lodging an application to sell alcohol on site, setting up a club that is built as much for time off court as for the matches themselves. The licence bid would allow alcohol sales from 11am to 10pm each day at the new Clifton Moor site, where Pure Padel is trying to turn padel into a full-day destination rather than a simple sports booking.

The venue is due to open in July at Clifton Moor Retail Park, on land that was formerly part of the Vue Cinema car park. Pure Padel says the site will have four covered courts and one uncovered court, plus a bespoke clubhouse, social spaces, a pro-shop, free Wi-Fi and free parking. The club says it will open from 6am to 10pm daily, giving players a wider window than many local facilities and underscoring the scale of the operation.

Pure Padel is pitching the York club at players of every level, from complete beginners to regulars looking to sharpen their game. Its marketing frames the site as a place to play, learn and socialise throughout the year, with panoramic glass court structures and imported court surfaces from Spain forming part of the sell. The timing matters too: the opening had previously been expected in October 2025 after planning permission was secured the year before, but the project has slipped and is now scheduled for this summer.

The alcohol application fits a broader commercial pattern around modern padel development. Operators are increasingly treating food-and-drink revenue, clubhouse dwell time and post-match socialising as essential to making new clubs viable and sticky for members. Comparable venues in the UK have also pursued alcohol licences, including clubs in Suffolk, Holmer Green and London.

That strategy has an obvious backdrop. The Lawn Tennis Association said in May 2025 that more than 400,000 people in Britain were playing padel and participation had more than trebled over the previous year. The International Padel Federation’s 2024 World Padel Report put the number of amateur players worldwide at nearly 30 million. For Pure Padel, the York licence bid suggests the club wants to capture that growth not just through court time, but through the hours before and after the match.