Indoor pickleball franchises are taking the industry by storm. The latest to hit the scene is PickleRage, backed by First National Realty Partners, one of the leading private equity firms in commercial real estate in the U.S.
The brand has announced three corporate location openings in Florida, Michigan and Maryland, with franchisee-owned locations planned to open in Michigan and Alabama. PickleRage expects to have more than 30 locations open by the end of 2025.
Here, Eric O’Connor, the executive vice president of franchise development for PickleRage, shares more about the brand, its key differentiators and plans for growth.
What are the brand’s key differentiators, in particular as a franchise?
First of all, we try to create an exceptional guest experience when people are in the location. We offer premium products, from the floors to the lightning. We’ve also invested in technology and automation so it’s easy for people register, play and schedule tournaments — all those things are proprietary that we’ve created to make it efficient. From the franchise partner standpoint, owners can focus on creating a clean, welcoming environment. We take care of the technology side and training side of it for them.
If we just talk about what differentiates us from our competitors when it comes to how we work with our franchise community, it comes down to site selection. Site selection is a critical part of it. As a parent company, we get first look at a lot of real estate that’s off market. So when we announce we’re coming into a market, we have the opportunity to work with brokers who have worked with us prior, and we’re able to identify great locations for our franchise community.
We don’t compromise on the quality of the properties we locate into. There’s a mad rush with a lot of pickleball locations opening in the United States, and sometimes people sacrifice location and convenience, and they just kind of rush to get a place open.
That real estate buying experience is definitely key, then?
Yes, you also have to look at the expertise when it comes to negotiating with landlords. We’ve been doing that for years. So we’re able to get our franchisees better deals, including for what is called tenant improvement money. When you look at the cost of opening a facility, most of your costs are situated in the construction and the improvements you make to the building. So we’re able to negotiate great tenant improvement allowances for our franchise community because of our expertise and relationships with a lot of these landlords. What that ensures is lower construction costs and better profitability.
We really want to make this a scalable opportunity. People who are inexperienced in the real estate business have a tougher time negotiating leases, getting better deals, and then in the long run, it affects their ability to make money and stay in business. So we’re able from the top down — starting with real estate selection, down to the training — to help franchise partners be successful.
Tell me about your growth plans.
The beauty of our parent company, First National Realty Partners, is they have the ability to source sites and also source prospects who are interested in opening up pickleball facilities. So on any given day, we have between 15 and 30 people reach out to us who are interested in becoming PickleRage franchise partners. Our overall growth plan is 500 units in the next five to six years and that’s attainable when you look at our ability to identify sites and acquire, but also the team we put together to develop franchise partners.
Is there anything else you’d like to share about PickleRage and what’s ahead?
We’re expanding throughout the United States. When you look at who we are and our background, we’re well vetted for the challenge. There’s a lot of competitors in this market, and I think when people learn of our background, they will see what differentiates us. The owners are very dialed into the pickleball industry and love the innovation side and bringing people together.
With over a decade spent covering the business side of sports and fitness, Rachel Chonko brings a wealth of experience and a true passion for active communities to Peake Media. As Editor-in-Chief, she’s focused on helping pickleball clubs and fitness facilities thrive, from guiding growth strategies to showcasing the latest industry trends. Rachel also hosts the Club Solutions Magazine Podcast, where she interviews leaders in fitness and pickleball to share insights and success stories with the wider community to give her listeners a competitive edge.
After taking up pickleball herself, Rachel has come to appreciate the sport’s unique blend of social connection and active living — a mix that’s perfectly in line with her editorial philosophy. Connect with her on LinkedIn, or check out her articles below for a deep dive into the energy and culture driving pickleball’s rapid rise.
