The PingPod location at 515 East 86th Street.
A rapidly expanding table tennis company has opened its newest automated facility on the Upper West Side.
PingPod, which offers “Table Tennis on Demand,” is now open at 243 West 99th Street at Broadway.
Advertisement
PingPod’s locations are always open, as there are no employees onsite. Instead, its spaces are monitored by security cameras.
Players use PingPod’s app to reserve tables and open the doors. The app is also used to pay, buy food and drinks, send reminders, and watch video footage of your matches.
You can book sessions at all hours of the night, and pricing is by 30 minute, 1 hour and 1.5 hour sessions. The common range we’ve seen has been $12.50 to $15 for half-hour sessions.
PingPod also offers monthly memberships for those who plan to paddle with frequency.
In addition to having tables you can book, the unique company’s offerings include coaches and classes, birthday parties for kids, and competitions for members.
The spaces also come with WiFi, light food and drinks, and TV screens to watch your games.
PingPod got its start on the Lower East Side in 2020. Since then, they’ve expanded with two locations on the Upper East Side, in Astoria, Midtown and Williamsburg. The company is planning a second UES facility in addition to an outpost in Downtown Brooklyn. Having raised $10 million in venture capital last year, PingPod is working on expanding nationally and has set up shop in New Jersey and Philadelphia, with spots in Boston and Miami coming soon.
No employees on site: what could possibly go wrong?
Suppression foam at the ready?
That was my original thought as well, but looks like they have quite a few locations already so I imagine they’ve managed to work it out. https://pingpod.com/locations/