Crushcakes’ Owner Serves Up Santa Barbara’s New Pickleball Paradise

There’s Nothing Sour About This Exclusive Pickleball+ Experience

Two Crush Courts are available for guests. | Photo: Courtesy

Andrew Manalis and Shannon Gaston met on the pickleball court and are now partners in life and in Crush Courts. | Photo: Courtesy

Since she started playing pickleball in 2023, Shannon Gaston, the proprietor of Crushcakes & Café, an eatery in its 17th year of operation, has become an ardent enthusiast of the rapidly growing sport. It’s actually how she met her partner, Andrew Manalis, on the courts at Cathedral Oaks Athletic Club. “He happened to be playing, and a few months later, we started dating,” she said, sitting opposite me at Crushcakes Downtown.

Like many of us who have tried whacking the porous ball back and forth, Gaston quickly became addicted. She started playing frequently at many establishments around town. “One of the things that I loved most about it was how it brought so many different people together,” she pondered. “Like people you would never, ever meet unless you were on that pickleball court.”

Inasmuch as the sport brought her joy, she quickly realized that it wasn’t completely flawless. High demand, fueled by the sport’s growing popularity, has made courts overcrowded and lacking in privacy for players. Gaston recalls times when she played with her friends and other people started lining up on the bench, signaling that they wanted to sub in. She wanted to play pickleball in private without feeling rushed or unable to keep up with more experienced players.

That’s when she had an idea. She remembered that her parents, who live off North San Marcos Road, had a 25-year-old tennis court just idling on their property. “What do you guys think if I just totally resurfaced it into two pickleball courts?” she asked them. Her parents were on board, and Gaston set the project in motion, aptly naming the nascent venture Crush Courts.

She enlisted the help of Manalis, as she felt she needed the guidance of a seasoned pickleball player by her side. “I’m, like, perfect now I have my pickleball person, so us together, we’re like, just a perfect match.”

Gaston hopes to run Crush Courts with an ethos similar to that of Crushcakes: it’s a safe space for everyone. “You could sit here for hours,” she said, gesturing around the café. “And just hang out and feel comfortable.” The new courts have a separate entrance from the residence and are a completely private experience. Gaston tells me her parents don’t mind sharing their courts; they enjoy the company. “It’s not like where you go to one of these public courts where you can get knocked off a court,” she said.

They also offer food and beverage packages catered by Crushcakes. You can have a cupcake pickleball party or a cupcake and champagne party — it can be anything you desire. From birthdays to corporate parties, Crush Courts can do it all. They’re even partnering with resorts like the Rosewood Miramar Beach to offer their courts to hotel guests. “We’re trying to put together all these different packages,” Gaston said.

The Crush Courts are available to rent. | Photo: Courtesy

An aerial view of the Crush Courts. | Photo: Courtesy
Crushcakes offers all sorts of catering options along with the courts. | Photo: Courtesy

To book a Crush Courts slot, simply fill out a form on their website. They have the equipment ready for you: paddles and balls. All you need to bring is yourself. Rates start at $50 for a minimum of two hours and go up from there. Manalis, a certified instructor, also offers private lessons starting from $85 per hour.

They’re still working out the kinks. While the constant popping of the ball is inevitable, the occasional outburst of profanities has become a common occurrence during heated pickleball games. That’s why Gaston and Manalis are working on a set of rules they’ve brainstormed on a piece of paper during their lunch break at Crushcakes: “No yelling, no trash talking, and no swearing.”

However, Gaston acknowledges that sometimes the swearing is just a part of the game. She even admits to doing it herself. “But honestly, I don’t actually want it on the roll,” she laughed. “We all say it, and my parents don’t actually care.” Some rules are still a work in progress.

For Gaston, pickleball’s impact goes beyond a mere physical workout; it’s a social activity, a chance to bond with people — both familiar and unfamiliar. This new venture is a testament to the way pickleball fosters community, and she hopes to continue this endeavor for a very long time. “I’d be happy with it for as long as I can play pickleball, which will hopefully be many years to come,” she reflected. “That’s one beautiful thing about the game, right? You can see people out there [in their] eighties, nineties, just out there playing. It’s amazing.”

For more information, see crushcourts.com.