Taiwanese sports brand opens baseball batting center in U.S., 5 more planned

Taipei, March 31 (CNA) Taiwanese brand Taroko Sports opened it first baseball batting and entertainment center in the United States on Friday, and plans to open another five this year, according to a statement released on Monday.

The new center opened in Katy, Texas, which is located in the western part of the Greater Houston metropolitan area, after a year of preparation, the company said.

"Step up to the plate in our next-level batting cages, challenge your crew to arcade games, hit the bullseye in darts, and experience non-stop action like never before," the company said in a recent social media post.

Taroko Sports highlighted the "strong baseball culture" in Houston, which is home to Major League Baseball team the Houston Astros.

The company added that the Katy area is one of the fastest-growing regions among American cities, with a large family-oriented and young sports-enthusiast population.

Two more stores are set to open in June and July in the Phoenix metropolitan area, Arizona, where Taiwan's leading chipmaker Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company's (TSMC) established its U.S. plant.

An additional three locations -- in San Antonio and Houston, Texas, and in Los Angeles, California -- are slated to open in the second half of the year, the statement said.

The Taiwanese company also said that its U.S. operations and management team consists of locally-hired personnel.

Taroko Sports, which established its U.S. subsidiary in July 2023 with an initial investment of US$3 million, has increased its capital investment to US$20 million as of June 2024.

The company was founded in 2003 as a baseball batting center and expanded its business in operating various sporting facilities, including bowling, roller skating, kart racing.