SAN ANTONIO – The latest episode of Pickup Lines features former NFL cheerleader Kelli Alldredge, whose competitive spirit and love of sports helped propel her to the top of the fast-growing entertainment brand Chicken N Pickle.
Since 2023, Kelli Alldredge has served as the president of Chicken N Pickle, a pickleball-centric restaurant and social destination with locations across multiple states and cities, including San Antonio.
But long before she entered the world of business leadership, Alldredge was a young athlete growing up in Wichita, Kansas. She grew up in an active household, attending baseball games and staying constantly on the move. But one sport stood out above the rest.
“I played a lot of tennis growing up,” Alldredge said. “We had a tennis court in our backyard. I always had a love for racket sports.”
That passion led her to study kinesiology in college and eventually opened a surprising door — a stint as an NFL cheerleader for the Kansas City Chiefs from 1998 to 2000. After leaving the Chiefs, Alldredge started a family, became a personal trainer and continued playing tennis.
Then, about a decade ago, one text message changed everything.
“I was invited, via text, to go play pickleball by a tennis friend,” she said.
The experience was immediate and joyful.
“I fell in love with it right away,” Alldredge said. “I was laughing. I didn’t care that I lost. It was pure joy.”
She began playing regularly at the original Chicken N Pickle location in North Kansas City, Missouri — without any idea that the venue would soon become central to her future.
Alldredge eventually befriended the company’s founder and pitched an idea: Host a charity fundraiser to benefit cancer patients. Despite the company never having hosted one before, the founder agreed to give her the space.
The result was a turning point.
“We raised $80,000,” Alldredge said. “Chicken N Pickle had one of their best days of business since they’d been open. It was a win-win.”
By the time she got home that night, an email from the founder was already waiting. Soon after, she was invited to help the company — even though she wasn’t looking for a job.
“I had no intent to one day be the president of this company,” she said.
Today, Alldredge oversees 13 Chicken N Pickle locations nationwide, including the San Antonio location that opened just days before the COVID-19 shutdowns in March 2020.
With that role comes constant demands — and a new philosophy on work-life balance.
“I don’t call it balance,” she said. “I call it a blend. You’re never going to perfectly balance it. But you can blend it.”
Watch the full Pickup Lines with Kelli Alldredge in the video player above.
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Ernie Zuniga started Pickup Lines, a digital talk show, straight from his vehicle. The segments feature a diverse range of guests, including executives, small business owners, and everyday individuals, as they share personal journeys, news, and stories.