Unique ping pong concept coming to Fort Lee

New York City-based futuristic, table tennis on demand concept PingPod will expand across the Hudson River to New Jersey, signing a lease for space at The Shops at Hudson Lights in Fort Lee.

An Aug. 4 announcement said PingPod Fort Lee will feature four ping pong tables in a 1,900-square-foot space.

“Hudson Lights offers PingPod a perfect fit for our first non-urban location because it provides a varied demographic drawn by its entertainment, dining and shopping attractions, which include an iPic Theater,” said PingPod founder David Silberman, who grew up in Bergen County. “PingPod’s presence will add a recreational activity to the mix – something to do before or after a meal or a movie – a safe and comfortable space for all people from retired adults to young families. PingPod’s appeal ranges from casual players looking for social play to expert players training for their next tournaments.”

The unique entertainment concept will open in early 2023. Players can reserve tables online or through PingPod’s recently launched app, and the venue can also be a space for private parties, kids classes and expert coaching.

PingPod launched on Manhattan’s Lower East Side in 2020, adding a second location on West 37th Street in 2021, followed by TK’s in Williamsburg, Astoria and the Upper East Side. It was started by three partners: Ernesto Ebuen, a successful player and coach who was the national table tennis champion in the Phillipines a half-dozen times; Max Kogler, former COO/CFO of soccer improvement program Super Soccer Stars; and Silberman.

PingPod offers tech-enabled table tennis “pods” that are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week and are 100% autonomous without any staff. People sign up and access each pod to play and the pods have a highlight reel system that lets folks capture their greatest hits and misses.