Since its creation in 2018, Mind Padel has established itself as one of the emblematic clubs in the Lyon region. Behind this success, Sébastien Cornet, president and founder of Esprit Padel and Spirit Padel Shop, has managed to transform an ambitious idea into a real success. He tells us the story of Esprit Padel and shares his vision for the future of paddle in France.

The Genesis of Spirit Padel

The starting point of Esprit Padel dates back to 2016The initial objective was to open a club in the East of Lyon to offer an alternative to players in the region, after the opening of Padel Central in Dardilly (west of Lyon). However, the major challenge was the lack of suitable buildings to accommodate a padel club in this area.

What are the characteristics of an ideal building?
To meet the needs of players, a building must offer:

  • A ceiling height of at least 9 to 10 meters.
  • Sufficient space between the pitches.
  • A spacious reception area for organizing events.
  • A meeting room for businesses.
  • A friendly outdoor space (barbecues, pétanque, etc.).
    All with maximum optimization of space to install the fields.

After visiting several clubs in France, including the Toulouse Padel Club led by Kevin Tournemire, Sébastien Cornet has better understood the expectations of the players. The solution? Find a plot of land and build a tailor-made club. In collaboration with an architect, a plot of land was identified and a project presented to the town hall of Saint-Priest, which was convinced of its interest. The last obstacle? Convince the banks in 2017, at a time when padel was still little known.

Results obtained

  • Land: validated.
  • Funding: validated.
  • Next steps: construction, installation of the grounds, management of reservations, official opening.

Mind Padel opened early 2018 with immediate success, marked by reservations from the first day and a constantly increasing demand. 2019, the building was expanded to accommodate two additional pitches. Today, the club offers 8 air-conditioned indoor courts, a restaurant, a pro shop, terminals for electric vehicles and photovoltaic panels.

The problems encountered

  1. Underestimation of the necessary personnel
    A padel club operates approximately 100 hours per week, requiring a large team from the start.
  2. Insufficient number of plots
    With 10 or 12 tracks, the club could welcome more players, thus meeting a demand which remains strong.
  3. The COVID crisis
    The closures imposed during 18 months have generated great uncertainty. However, this period has strengthened communication between clubs through theFrench Association of Clubs Padel (AFCP).

An ambitious development strategy

During the pandemic, two initiatives were launched:

  1. A restaurant within the club to meet the needs of players and organize events.
  2. Mind Padel Shop, a leading online store created with Joffrey Gilant, David Barbey and Charles Alexandre.

Today, Spirit Padel prepares the opening of two new clubs in 2025 :

These clubs will offer modern facilities: latest generation pitches with 10 meters high ceiling, air conditioning, restaurant, bar and seminar room.

Goals for the future

Mind Padel wants to develop its brand in two ways:

  1. Open clean clubs in strategic areas.
  2. Create a franchise network to support project leaders with a complete ecosystem: land, application, store, partners and training for teams.

The goal is to open 20 Esprit clubs Padel by 2030 to become an essential reference for padel in France.

A dedicated site has been created to answer questions: development.espritpadel.com

Franck Binisti

Franck Binisti discovered padel at the Club des Pyramides in 2009 in the Paris region. Since then, padel has been part of his life. You often see him touring France to cover major French padel events.

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