Interview with Racketeer, merging sport and hospitality
Patrick Michael Lafuente-Gray discusses with NDML the 2026 launch of Racketeer. As Co-Founder alongside Stephanie McCaffrey, Patrick talks about the challenges of starting a new business in the current climate.
Racketeer is the largest padel venue in the UK and aims to blend hospitality and sports and leisure. Their tag – Play First, Hang Later – identifies their intention of offering a sporting space which includes coffee, cocktails, music and event hire.
But to get Racketeer off the ground, Patrick and Stephanie have had to navigate a raft of legislative, compliance and financial obstacles. At NDML, we hear the insights of a CEO on the precipice of opening a venue in a discovery space.
What’s your background in hospitality and nightlife?
Patrick has 25 years in the hospitality sector. He worked closely with Richard Caring to build the restaurant business, Bills. He was then brought out of retirement by Stephanie to work on a new project, Racketeer.
How did you become involved with Stephanie McCaffrey and Racketeer?
Stephanie McCaffrey is a former women’s professional football player who has multiple caps for the USA. She is the CEO of Picklepop a successful pickleball and padel centre in LA. Through her affiliation with Leyton OrientFC, Stephanie has close ties to England and wanted to start a successful innovative business based in London.
After multiple conversations, Stephanie and Patrick found they had a rare chemistry, one which would help spur the growth of a new unique hospitality venue in London.
Why London?
London is very familiar to both Patrick and Steph. Patrick makes note that padel in London is ‘incredible desperate’. Their aim is to take over the London market.
Is Racketeer revolutionary?
Patrick discusses how important it is, in the modern climate, for businesses to improve the experience for customers. They decided to have 11 courts in the space, not 12 as to deliver more room for alternate activities – such as coffee mornings, brunch, lunch and classes.
Why is Racketeer situated in Park Royal?
The property is a 90,000 square foot space. 60,000 square foot is dedicated to padel. The offset space is licensed for industrial use which Patrick is trying to make additive to the business. They hope to include a roastery, a bakery business, a bakery school, remote working spaces. They want to benefit independent business to build their brand at the venue. Park Royal ultimately becomes a destination venue.
How has Picklepop inspired Racketeer?
Patrick sees no market for pickleball in London. Racketeer is not similar to Picklepop, as instead Racketeer will continue long into the future to take and convert properties into full-fledged hospitality businesses and then exit at sale price.
What are the biggest challenges you have had to overcome to start a hospitality leisure business?
Patrick and Stephanie have only been able to survive 2 years of planning because of their experience, vision and capital. The majority of operators would have failed.
Planning permission on the site cost £300,000 – which Patrick reiterates is insane.
Turning an industrial space into a leisure space always sees concern from the council. Concerns include employment and legislative elements – and so the project faced massive pushbacks.
They were initially refused parking, which Patrick argues was ludicrous, not merely from a safety standpoint. They were also told to spend £250,000 on plants, simply because it’s a leisure space.
Emergency vehicle access, disabled access, bike racks, walkway, required toilets and facilities – multiple legislative demands which do not coincide and are contradictory needed to be combatted by Patrick’s team.
Commercially, tax and stamp duty was unfairly extortionate says Patrick – and could be made even worse with upcoming budgets. One huge issue is that the business had to pay rates as if it were occupied for the length of time they owned the venue, and then prove post-opening, that they were renovating. This initial amount of necessary cash with no income would not be possible for normal operators.
The scale of the venue has unearthed numerous challenges – such as the number of fire exits and toilets. Yet the capacity of a padel venue is only 44. But Stephanie and Patrick can afford the time and cost of going through the legislation – they recognise that most operators can’t. Things need to change.
How financially difficult is it to start a hospitality leisure business today?
In Patrick’s mind, entrepreneur startups now cannot afford the cost of starting a hospitality business. Workers rights and staff welfare is important, but businesses cannot afford the increased minimum wage.
Business owners carry the pressure, and need to be supported.
What piece of advice would you give the Chancellor and Government ministers?
Patrick advises the Government to listen. Listen to the experts and to operators.
If they don’t start listening to the industry, the industry will be gone.
Patrick says the ‘working man’ is being incredibly badly treated whilst thinking policies are good – such as the changes around the minimum wage. Things need to change in order to benefit the sector.
How has your experience of NDML been?
Patrick says Racketeer are very happy with NDML. NDML and Michael Dawson have been very helpful throughout out the process, appreciating the venue is within a discovery space and has a complicated structure. NDML is an insurance provider that supports up-and-coming venues.
What are the biggest risks present at the venue and what measures have you put in place to control these risks?
The business involves exercise, and therefore that is the biggest risk. Racketeer has defibrillators on site, medical screens, first aid training. The gym offers a warm up and warm down. Decal on the glass helps prevent accidental injury. Padel shoes are also another piece of kit Racketeer will be pushing, retain improve the quality of the courts and reduce customer injures.
What community outreach efforts is Racketeer investing in?
The Padel Foundation is a charity to make padel accessible. Racketeer will give over a court to the padel foundation, as well as five hours a week of free use to local schools to come and try the sport. Racketeer’s headline sponsor will provide rackets and t-shirts to the children, with no sales pressure at all. We have enough courts and off-peak available capacity that we are able to take this charitable step, unlike other clubs.
NDML would like to thank Patrick for his time. New original venues are what make hospitality special. Good luck in your new venture, keep revolutionising and keep pushing.
Watch more videos from #WeAreNightlife
See More Interviews from NDML
Sitting down with Will Paterson, Founder of Eutopia Warehouse in Barking Riverside.
New multipurpose venue, Eutopia Warehouse had already caused a stir in the rave and live music event scene in London. Will Paterson discusses the complete process surrounding his new venue, from location to sound to compliance.
Watch the Eutopia WHS Interview
What is WeAreNightlife?
NDML has made it their mission to protect, safeguard and provide guidance to businesses in the hospitality and leisure sector. With inside information, case studies and up-to-date information on policy changes, NDML is a broker who cares about a business’s welfare and will celebrate their growth.
Our #WeAreNightlife campaign aims to provide a sound board for industry leaders to share their own unique experiences of British nightlife. NDML’s goal, alongside the NTIA, is to nit the UK nightlife scene back together after the turbulent COVID years and deliver steps to get the industry back up to full throttle.
NDML is the UK’s number one broker in the nightlife sector. We offer exclusive tailor-made policies and have decades of expertise. Our award-winning service is built upon genuine relationships, and that’s why projects, such as #WeAreNightlife, are so important to us.
What is The Nightlife Revolution?
The Nightlife Revolution is a project which aims to bring together venue owners and hospitality staff. The project is ran by members of NDML and will give a platform for industry leaders to shed light on the challenges affecting businesses, and the key statistics that need to be known.
We wish to build a wall of supporters and a collective forum to say “Enough is Enough – Nightlife is done with being Forgotten.” Corporation have joined the Nightlife Revolution, sign up and make sure your business joins the revolution.