Operators, not architects.
We are not building padel courts. We are building the next era of padel, where the sport is only half of it and the hospitality is unrivalled. Between us, decades running some of the most demanding rooms in the world.
Hospitality is
the difference
Venues do not fail because the concept is wrong. They fail because the operating standard is not there: inconsistent service, untrained teams, no rhythm, and no standards upheld when no one is watching. We build the opposite.
- i.Service, dialled in
Consistent and considered, every visit, not just on opening night.
- ii.Standards, upheld
The details are right when no one is watching. That is what separates a destination from a facility.
- iii.A rhythm, not noise
Programming that keeps the room full and the community engaged all year, not one-off events.
Two operators,
one standard
Alex Wall
Founder · AJW Presents
Over twenty years across nightlife, bars, restaurants and multi-venue hospitality in London, New York, Las Vegas and Los Angeles. Alex opens venues, stabilises underperforming ones, and brings structure to places that lean too heavily on hype and not enough on standards.
AJW is built to run venues, not just imagine them: concept, brand, team and operations, with the operator accountable for what gets delivered. He is currently leading a team focused on the rejuvenation of Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica.
Terry Barnes
Founder · Tybaac Ltd
Over fifteen years of leadership across high-end restaurants, nightclubs and hospitality brands in London and the Middle East. Terry has launched and scaled high-profile venues, taking full ownership of P&L, business strategy and regulatory compliance.
He turns underperforming rooms into profitable ones through disciplined systems, training and a firm hold on standards, and builds teams that hold the line under pressure. As founder of Tybaac, he now guides hospitality businesses to operational excellence, sustainable growth and lasting profitability.
A board
taking shape
The founders are supported by a board forming around the project. We will confirm names as the concept progresses, but the calibre is set.
- i.Retail leadership
A former senior retail store operator who oversaw stores across the North of England, guiding the fit with a partner like Tesco.
- ii.Construction & delivery
A specialist in large-format construction and delivery, to take each site from drawing to opening.
- iii.People & culture
A senior human resources and people specialist, to build teams that uphold the standard at scale.
Conversations are underway. We expect to confirm the board as the partnership advances.
For a partner like Tesco,
that means certainty
A venue that is safe, well run and reliably busy, delivered by people who have been accountable for exactly this before. Not a concept in search of an operator, but operators who happen to have found the perfect concept.
We are not just building padel courts. We are building the next generation of the game: a rooftop where the hospitality is held to a standard no other club has reached, and where people come to play, to gather, or simply to be somewhere worth being.Alex Wall & Terry Barnes
What happens next
Let’s build something
exceptional
We are seeking a forward-thinking host landlord and founding investment partners for the first Upper Court flagship. The full memorandum, model and design pack are available under NDA.
Terry Barnes · Tybaac Ltd, with partners in London