With the growth of pickleball booming over the past few years, the demand for the number of courts has also grown. This demand has posed a unique business opportunity for investors and entrepreneurs.
According to Forbes, in order to keep up with the current demand of the fastest growing sport, the United States needs 25,000 new courts to be built immediately.
While outdoor courts are great, indoor pickleball facilities have become a huge investment opportunity. Pickleball can be played year-round without the distraction of rain, wind, heat, or snow. Indoor pickleball facilities also provide a great social atmosphere as many offer food and meeting spaces in addition to courts.
Some entrepreneurs, such as owners of The Pickle Lodge and Aces Pickleball + Kitchen in Cincinnati have gone after investors and started indoor facilities on their own. Other venues that have opened throughout the nation have turned their successful venture into a franchise.
While venues such as Chicken N Pickle and Smash Park were the only indoor pickleball venues a few years ago, as of late 2024, there are now many indoor pickleball franchises to choose from.
The Pros and Cons of Franchise Ownership
Owning a pickleball franchise comes with pros and cons. Ultimately, each person has to decide what works best for them.
We owned a digital marketing franchise for 15 years. It provided us with ongoing education as the industry was constantly changing, it gave us methodologies and processes, access to and relationships with other franchisees with whom we could collaborate. It gave us an introduction to vendors we might not have had a connection to on our own.
It also provided us with a lower barrier to entry. We were able to get into an industry we initially knew little about. Additionally, it provided us instant trust and credibility when we would meet with potential clients knowing we had a backing and were part of a larger network.
The franchise did have its drawbacks though. We had a hefty monthly management fee. We didn’t have much flexibility since the franchise wanted us to do it their way. We had to stay within their network of vendors.
Whether considering a digital marketing franchise or a pickleball franchise, some of the pros and cons are similar.
Pros
- A proven business model
- Name recognition to provide credibility
- Training and education
- Typically easier to obtain financing
- Marketing support
- Relationships with vendors and software
- Other franchisees to collaborate with
Cons
- Little flexibility if you want to make changes
- Ongoing fees
- Little freedom to make venue decisions
- You are not your own boss
Tips for Choosing a Franchise
If you are thinking of opening a pickleball facility, there are many things to consider. One decision is to purchase a franchise or go for it alone. Consider the following questions when making the decision:
- How well do you know pickleball and what players want?
- Do you like being your own boss and making all of the decisions?
- Do you feel more comfortable working with proven systems?
- Do you like to take risks?
If you decide you want to start a pickleball franchise, you need to determine which franchise is best for you. Some things to consider are:
- Initial and monthly fees
- Brand recognition
- Amount of training and support the franchise will provide
- Do they have a food and beverage model?
- Is the franchise backed by a proven financial performance?
- The amount other franchisees are earning
- Territorial rights – you don’t want a duplicate franchise opening down the street
- What is in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD)
- Does the franchise provide any financing options?
- What are other franchise membership numbers?
In addition to these considerations, it’s always good to talk to current franchisees and visit different locations. Franchisees can fill you in on how their experience has been.
How Much is a Pickleball Franchise?
As you will see below, it can take a substantial amount of money to open a pickleball franchise. There can be a few different variables that can impact the cost such as location, number of courts, square footage, if a restaurant is included, etc.
In addition, there might be ongoing marketing fees, monthly royalty fees, and initial franchise fees that need to be factored in.
Indoor Pickleball Franchise Opportunities
The following pickleball facilities are notable in the industry due to how many locations they have sold, who their ownership team is, or the amenities they provide.
Ace Pickleball Franchise
As of late 2024, Ace Pickleball Club has 4 locations open with 117 franchises awarded. Their founders and executive team have hundreds of years of experience and a proven track record of franchise experience. Most notably they were instrumental in the development of Sky Zone Trampoline Parks. Due to that and unlike other pickleball franchises, they built their franchise model before building their first location.
Ace Pickleball facilities offer a simplified membership providing open play, court rental, leagues, clinics, and tournaments. They are also equipped with glow in the dark tech.
Benefits of starting a franchise with Ace Pickleball
- Assistance with site selection
- A project management team to help lead with architecture, permitting, construction, procurement, and court installation
- Ongoing training and operations support
Ace Pickleball Franchise Costs
The range to open a franchise is between $940,250 and $1,894,850. There are different variables that can impact the cost, such as the existing condition of the space, landlord contributions, square footage, and market/location.
Additional franchise fees include a 7% royalty on gross sales, a national advertising fund of 1% on gross sales, a monthly technology fee of $750.
Crush Yard Franchise
Crush Yard began in 2022 with their first location open in 2023. As of late 2024, Crush Yard has 1 location open with 3 additional locations coming soon. Their investors are NFL players and leading business people.
Crush Yard is a leader when it comes to technology. Their entire operation is able to be run off their app, including credit card payments, food ordering, self-pour beer, and court reservations.
Benefits of Starting a Crush Yard Franchise
- Eatertainment powerhouse with a 3-year payback
- In-house commercial real estate and construction professionals to help with site selection
- Premium food and beverage service led by an Executive Chief
- Operational guidelines and training
- Guidance with hiring key staff
- Leading creative development
Court Yard Franchise Cost
The range to open a Crush Yard franchise is between $6.5 – $9.5 million for a 30,000 – 50,000 sq ft facility.
Dill Dinkers Franchise
Dill Dinkers launched in 2022. As of late 2024, Dill Dinkers has 15 active locations and over 325 franchises in development. The franchise was founded by a husband/wife team who were former franchisees with Domino’s. They have a brand partnership with Joola and pickleball professional Collin Johns.
Each facility offers dedicated indoor courts with fences and outdoor surfaces, event space, and a ball machine.
Benefits of Starting a Dill Dinkers Franchise
- Proven business model
- Dedicated support
- Turn-key program with fully designed prototypical drawings
- Flexible: they allow franchisees to build their own facility or use a prototype
- Learning Management System to train your teams
- Marketing playbook
Dill Dinkers Franchise Costs
The initial investment to open a single-club Dill Dinkers franchise is between $328,961 to $765,046 There are different variables that can impact the cost, such as the condition of the space, square footage, and number of courts.
There is an initial franchise fee of $50,000 and an ongoing 8% royalty of sales.
Pickleball Kingdom
With their first location opening in 2022, Pickleball Kingdom has 2 locations and has awarded over 350 franchises as of late 2024. Pickleball Kingdom’s founder is Ace Rodrigues who has prior experience founding companies and scaling their growth.
This franchise offers individually fenced courts, a mezzanine viewing area with a pro shop, snack bar, and locker rooms. Some locations provide an Internet Lounge.
They are expanding outside of the United States into Canada. They have plans for multiple clubs in Ontario.
Benefits of Starting a Pickleball Kingdom Franchise
- Proven track record of exceptional operational success
- Model driven by pickleball enthusiasts
- Unparalleled resources and industry recognition
- High–margin structure and cutting–edge technology
Pickleball Kingdom Franchise Costs
Investment to open a Pickleball Kingdom franchise ranges from $967,000 to $2 million. This range includes expenses such as the initial franchise fee, equipment, signage, and other essential costs.
There is a royalty fee of 8% and a marketing fee of 2% of monthly sales. These fees go towards ongoing support, marketing efforts, and brand development.
The Picklr
As of late 2024, The Picklr has 14 locations open and has sold 355 franchises. The Picklr was founded by Jorge Barragan and Austin Wood. They signed their first lease in 2021. Both were successful in business before starting the franchise. They currently have a large management team and plans to take the franchise internationally. The Picklr has become one of the most well-known pickleball franchises even attracting former NFL quarterback Drew Brees as a franchisee.
Benefits of Starting a Picklr Franchise
- Proven business model
- Global brand recognized as an industry leader
- Franchise team with over 130 years of experience
- Streamlined process to market
- Partners with the PPA, Pickleball Central, and Wingfield game-improving technology
The Picklr Franchise Costs
Investment to open a Picklr facility can be anywhere between $319,000 – $1,170,000. The cost can vary depending on the number of units.
PickleRage
Founded in 2023, PickleRage offers state-of-the-art facilities. As of late 2024, Pickleball Rage has awarded over 350 franchises. The leadership team behind PickleRage is a group of commercial real estate pros.
PickleRage has partnered with the Johnson family, renowned figures in the world of pickleball. JW Johnson is a top pickleball professional. His parents are coaches.
Benefits of Starting a PickleRage Franchise
- They take the guesswork out of finding exceptional, transformable commercial spaces
- Offer a variety of investment options
- Access to a team of experienced executives
- Hundreds of hours of training, software, and manuals
- Continuous marketing support, playbook, graphics library, and promotional resources
Franchise Costs
The initial investment to open a single-unit PickleRage franchise ranges from $600,000 to $1,500,000. There is a royalty rate equal to 7% of gross revenues.
There is also a monthly local marketing expenditure equal to 2% of gross revenues or $2,000/month, whichever is greater in addition to contributing 1% of gross revenues to the brand marketing fund.
Additional Franchises
In addition to the franchises above, there are many other franchises popping up, such as:
- 24 Hour Pickleball
- Camp Pickle
- Electric Pickle
- The Kitchen Indoor Courts
- Pickle and Social
- Pickle Pad
- PKL
It’s exciting to see how pickleball has grown. In years to come, most large cities in the United States will be able to play indoors year-round.
For a list of pickleball venues throughout the United States, please visit Pickleball User Reviews. If you’ve visited a venue, please leave a review while you’re there.
Do you have an indoor pickleball facility near you, or are you considering opening one? Let us know in the comments below.
About Teresa
Teresa is the idea-maker behind PickleballMAX. Teresa joins Todd to manage and market PickleballMAX. She creates pickleball content and assists with pickleball tournaments. In 2023, she wrote a pickleball devotional book titled Pickleball Is [Not] Life.
