Preliminary construction on Milwaukee’s premiere table tennis club SPiN Milwaukee began this week, with full construction to begin by June 15. The 16,500 square foot table tennis club is located at 233 E. Chicago St., in Milwaukee’s Third Ward District. The facility is the first franchise established by the New York City-based business.
Scott Meyer, president and chief executive officer of QPS Employment Group in Brookfield was instrumental in bringing the club to Milwaukee and serves as SPiN Milwaukee’s board chairman.
“I had taken a trip to New York over the holidays last December,” Meyer said. “We had two plans, one was to ice skate in Rockefeller Center and the second was to visit SPiN New York, because we had seen a television spot about the new club.”
SPiN Milwaukee will feature 12 “pay to play” ping pong tables and an additional 13th table in the center with stadium-style seating, said Jill Wellskopf, director of marketing and events for SPiN Milwaukee.
“We’ll also have two private event rooms with their own tables, locker rooms, showers a pro shop, lounge bar and a restaurant that will be open for lunch and dinner daily,” she said.
SPiN Milwaukee has partnered with the Shorewood Table Tennis Club, and plans to host tournaments and leagues shortly after the opening. Private and group instruction will also be available.
The New York Club was co-founded by A-List celebrity Susan Sarandon, who played a pretty significant role in deciding the fate of the Milwaukee franchise, Meyer said.
“I’m sure they get multiple requests to develop franchises on a daily basis,” he said. “But we stuck with it, showed them our space and our credentials and they finally agreed.”
The build out of the space should be completed by late August, and a soft opening is tentatively scheduled for Aug. 21, Meyer said.
A grand opening celebration is scheduled for September, in which Meyer hopes Sarandon will be able to attend. Those interested can become members of SPiN Milwaukee, but membership is not required.
“The club atmosphere will really appeal to a lot of different people,” Meyer said. “In that regards we will closely model the New York Club. When I visited, there was everyone from A-List celebrities like Lil Wayne and Lauren Hutton, 20 somethings on their first date and a 70 year old couple who still enjoy the game.”
To see a video interview with Meyer and Wellskopf in the new space click below.
