The Courts provides place to play, eat

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When Jack and Susan Kramer began building The Courts, which opened June 1 last year at 4136 E. Kearney St., their desires outgrew their intentions.|ret||ret||tab|

"It started out that we were going to do a single basketball court and it just took off," Susan Kramer said. "It just kept getting bigger and bigger. We knew what was needed in this area: more places to play." |ret||ret||tab|

That's just what The Courts provides, with a 26,000-square-foot gym that holds three basketball courts and allows for indoor soccer and football games, volleyball, roller hockey, and cheer-leading and gymnastics competitions. Essentially, it accommodates almost any indoor sporting event.|ret||ret||tab|

The Courts also has a 5,000-square-foot food court that serves Subway, Pizza Pro, TCBY and general concessions daily. The development's primary customers are employees of businesses at the Partnership Industrial Center, which is located across the street. |ret||ret||tab|

"That was one of the main reasons this location was selected," Jack Kramer said. "We could have put a sports complex anywhere, but we knew that 1,500 to 2,000 people were within one mile here and really had no place to eat."|ret||ret||tab|

According to Doug Gruenberg, food services director at The Courts, about 200 people drop in for lunch on an average day.|ret||ret||tab|

"We get an awful lot of regulars from across the street at the industrial park," he said.|ret||ret||tab|

And for those loyal customers Gruenberg has spiced up the menu.|ret||ret||tab|

"We try to do a little variety for the people who come every day," Susan Kramer said. |ret||ret||tab|

Gruenberg said he's looking at adding pasta and oriental buffets to the weekly specials menu that includes a pizza buffet, Subway sandwiches and Chicago-style hot dogs on their respective days. The newest addition is a fajita buffet, which is offered Wednesday through Friday.|ret||ret||tab|

Something else they're trying is a lunch-time delivery service to cater to the nearby manufacturing workers.|ret||ret||tab|

"Any one of the number of companies can request a certain day that we show up on their lunch break with a variety of sandwiches and pizzas," Gruenberg said. "It's basically a very quick lunch with the same quality of food that we have here."|ret||ret||tab|

The Kramers already have an agreement with Diesel Exchange for lunch deliveries on Mondays and Fridays.|ret||ret||tab|

"It's really convenient for our employees," said Lisa Hendrick, co-owner of the Diesel Exchange. "We're using that facility for lunch, but since they only get a 30-minute break, having the food down here already makes it a lot nicer for them."|ret||ret||tab|

Another service that saves on time, called Subway Express, offers pre-made sandwiches that are purchased at a different register to eliminate waiting in lines.|ret||ret||tab|

The Kramers and their athletic director, Chris Coskey, maintain a busy schedule with all of the events and tournaments.|ret||ret||tab|

"The tournaments bring in the most people," Susan Kramer said, "especially when you've got the out-of-town teams coming in." |ret||ret||tab|

Gruenberg said the day-long tournaments, which have brought people in from as far away as West Virginia and Michigan, can increase food sales to four times the level of an average day.|ret||ret||tab|

"They pretty much spend their whole day here and can eat twice in the same afternoon," he said.|ret||ret||tab|

One such event is the 16th annual Springfield Gymnastics Center Boys Invitational to be held March 10. |ret||ret||tab|

More than 300 boys ages 6 to 16 will come from seven Midwestern states to compete in the six sanctioned Olympic events.|ret||ret||tab|

The Kramers have found that players and teams will travel long distances to compete.|ret||ret||tab|

"It's convenient being here at I-44 and 65 we draw teams from Osage Beach, Kimberling City, Reeds Spring, Lebanon," Jack Kramer said. "Just associated with sports, we have (6,000) to 7,000 people coming through here a week."|ret||ret||tab|

The Courts also holds weekly Saturday night teen dances and occasional lock-ins, most recently with a group of 360 from High Street Baptist Church. |ret||ret||tab|

"We can hold just about anything, from a dog show to a karate tournament," Susan Kramer said. "There's just so many things that people could use this building for." |ret||ret||tab|

The Courts was recently the site of the Missouri Special Olympics Basketball tournament, which included 305 competitors.|ret||ret||tab|

The facilities are available to the public seven days a week. Open gyms are held 11 a.m.-5 p.m. every day, and large groups can rent courts for $20 per hour or pay $2 per person to play. |ret||ret||tab|

After 5:30 p.m. the nightly leagues begin. The basketball leagues are in full swing with 190 total teams participating.|ret||ret||tab|

"There's just such a demand," Jack said. "We turn teams down because we're too full." |ret||ret||tab|

During football season there is also a flag football league and this summer Coskey and the Kramers have planned volleyball and basketball camps.|ret||ret||tab|

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