SPiN
{{Short description|Chain of franchised table tennis bars}}
{{About|the chain of table tennis lounges|the alternative rock band|SPiN (band)|other uses|spin (disambiguation)}}
{{Infobox company
| name = SPIN Global
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| image = File:Spin (26901531232).jpg
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| image_caption = Sign outside of SPIN Chicago
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| founded = {{start date and age|2009|09|17}} in New York City, New York, United States
| founders = Franck Raharinosy, Jonathan Bricklin, Andrew Gordon (executive), Wally Green
| hq_location =
| hq_location_city = New York City
| hq_location_country = United States
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| key_people = Pieter Vanermen (CEO), Andrew Gordon (Co Founder), Jonathan Bricklin (Co Founder), Frank Raharinosy(Co Founder), Wally Green(Co Founder), Atanda Musa (Ping Pong Pro), Soo Yeon Lee (brand ambassador)
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| services = Table tennis clubs
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| website = http://wearespin.com/
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SPiN is an international chain of franchised table tennis clubs and bars. The company was founded in 2009 by Jonathan Bricklin, Andrew Gordon, Franck Raharinosy,{{cite news |last=Somaiya |first=Ravi |date=November 26, 2008 |title=Back-and-Forth Sport Is Back Again |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/27/fashion/27pingpong.html?_r=4 |work=New York Times |access-date=May 27, 2017}}{{cite news |last=Morgan |first=Spencer |date=February 11, 2009 |title=Franck Raharinosy Is New York City's Priapic Prince of Ping-Pong |url=http://observer.com/2009/02/new-yorks-priapic-prince-of-pingpong/ |work=New York Observer |access-date=May 27, 2017}} and Wally Green.{{Citation|title=Wally Green - Celebrity {{!}} Pro Table Tennis Player, Coach, and Co-Founder of SPIN New York 23 - Table Tennis Themed Cafe in Manhattan. Wally has many fascinating stories making him the coolest figure in table tennis. - Serve and Return Podcast: Tennis, Racquet Sports & More|url=https://www.buzzsprout.com/1015243/3667477-wally-green-celebrity-pro-table-tennis-player-coach-and-co-founder-of-spin-new-york-23-table-tennis-themed-cafe-in-manhattan-wally-has-many-fascinating-stories-making-him-the-coolest-figure-in-table-tennis|access-date=2020-09-17}}{{Cite web|last=Green|first=Wally|title=The first-person story of how ping pong saved the life of a New York City kid and took him all the way to North Korea|url=https://www.nydailynews.com/sports/more-sports/ny-sports-endzone-ping-pong-north-korea-20181003-story.html|access-date=2020-09-17|website=nydailynews.com}}
History and locations
File:SPiN New York 1.jpgInterior of SPIN NY Flatiron]]
The first location of SPIN opened in New York City's Flatiron District on Park Avenue.
The first SPIN franchise outside of New York opened in 2010 in Milwaukee{{cite news |last=Miller II |first=Stanley A. |date=March 3, 2011 |title=Pingpong club puts new spin on night life |url=http://archive.jsonline.com/entertainment/musicandnightlife/117330188.html |work=Journal Sentinel |access-date=May 27, 2017}} (the table tennis bar at this location is now no longer affiliated with the SPIN brand{{cite news |last=Selvam |first=Ashok |date=March 18, 2015 |title=Susan Sarandon's SPIN Bar/Restaurant Bringing Ping Pong to River North |url=https://chicago.eater.com/2015/3/18/8250453/susan-sarandon-spin-pingpong-river-north |work=Eater Chicago |access-date=May 27, 2017}}). In 2011, a location opened in Toronto{{cite news |last=Olivero |first=Simone |date=October 13, 2011 |title=Introducing: Spin Toronto, the new King West ping pong club co-owned by Susan Sarandon (no, really) |url=http://torontolife.com/food/restaurants/introducing-spin-toronto/ |work=Toronto Life |access-date=May 27, 2017}} and in 2013 a location (containing a gold-plated ping pong table) opened in Dubai{{cite news |last=Wilson-Powell |first=Georgina |date=May 22, 2013 |title=Dubai's ping pong nightclub |url=http://www.bbc.com/travel/story/20130520-dubais-ping-pong-nightclub |work=BBC Travel |access-date=May 27, 2017}} (it later closed due to Dubai's more conservative drinking norms{{cite news |last=Williams |first=Felicia |date=May 20, 2016 |title=SPIN ping pong club premieres its San Francisco location |url=https://techcrunch.com/2016/05/20/spin-ping-pong-club-premieres-its-san-francisco-location/ |work=Tech Crunch |access-date=May 27, 2017}}). Further locations have opened (or are planned to open) in Austin,{{cite news |last=O'Donnell |first=Amanda |date=March 21, 2017 |title=Austin to get first ping pong bar |url=http://austin.blog.statesman.com/2017/03/21/austin-to-get-first-pingpong-bar/ |work=Statesman |access-date=May 27, 2017}} Chicago, Los Angeles,{{cite news |last=Gelt |first=Jessica |date=December 14, 2012 |title=Giving L.A. a glitzy SPiN on ping-pong |url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/la-xpm-2012-dec-14-la-et-night-spin-20121214-story.html |work=Los Angeles Times |access-date=May 27, 2017}} Philadelphia,{{cite news |last=Tanenbaum |first=Michael |date=May 2, 2017 |title=Popular ping-pong social club SPiN coming to Center City |url=http://www.phillyvoice.com/popular-ping-pong-social-club-spin-coming-center-city/ |work=Philly Voice |access-date=May 27, 2017}} and San Francisco. As of 2017, there are seven current or planned SPiN locations in the U.S. and Canada.{{cite web |url=http://wearespin.com/ |title=SPiN: United by Ping Pong |author= |website=SPiN |publisher=SPiN Global |access-date= May 27, 2017}}
Austin which is now closed made way for them to open a location in Boston's Seaport.
Concept and marketing
The concept of SPIN was inspired by popular table tennis parties (called "Naked Ping Pong") held regularly by SPIN co-founders Bricklin, Raharinosy, and Green along with Kazuyuki Yokoyama. SPiN franchises incorporate full-service bars and restaurants along with their ping pong tables. The ping pong tables can be reserved by customers (including a "center court" table at many locations) who then play for an hourly cost (or purchase a membership). Location openings have often included celebrity appearances and professional table tennis players. The chain has partnered with organizations such as the Glide Foundation to help provide access to table tennis to youth who might be otherwise unable to play.
