Dill Dinkers Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Dill Dinkers franchise requires a total initial investment of $178K – $866K, including a $50K franchise fee. The 2025 FDD does not disclose unit-level revenue (no Item 19). FranchiseVerdict grade: C (Average), an editorial assessment, not investment advice. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified · figures per the 2025 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $178K – $866K
- 17th pct Recreation & …
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- Royalty
- N/A
- Units
- 23
- 30th pct Recreation & …
- SBA charge-off
- N/A
Quick verdict · Recreation & Entertainment · color = vs category peers
Green = favorable by >10% vs Recreation & Entertainment avg · No shading = within ±10% · Red = unfavorable by >10% · Source: FDD filings + SBA 7(a)
Data from public FDD filings and SBA records. Not financial advice. Methodology
Bottom line
- COSTTotal investment $178K – $866K including a $50K franchise fee.
- RETURNSTotal revenues for FY ended June 30, 2025 of $1,804,271 (vs. $269,467 for the period from July 28, 2023 inception through June 30, 2024). FY2025 revenue comprised franchise fee and regional developer fee income $608,833, royalty income $607,176, technology fee income $298,450, net sales $223,469, and other income $66,343. Auditor's report (signed New York, NY, Dec 19, 2025) issued going-concern qualification; member's deficit of $(3,398,881).
- RISKVerdict C (Average), verdict score 60/100 (higher is better).
- FLAGAuditor disclosed a going-concern note, which flagged doubt about the franchisor's ability to continue operations. Verify against the latest FDD.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
Corporate structure & franchisor financials
- Legal entity
- Dill Dinkers Franchising, LLC
- Parent company
- Dill Dinkers Holdings, Inc.
- Predecessor
- None disclosed
- Prior franchisor entity
- CEO title
- Co-Founder, Chief Executive Officer, and President
- William Richards
- Incorporated in
- Delaware
- HQ
- 9220 Rumsey Road, Suite 101, Columbia, Maryland 21045
- Franchisor revenue
- $1.8M
- vs $269K prior year
- ⚠ Going-concern note
- Disclosed in FDD 2025
- Auditor flagged doubt about continued operations. Verify against the latest FDD before deciding.
Overview
About
Regional Developer franchise: assists Dill Dinkers Franchising, LLC in recruiting, training, and supporting franchisees of Dill Dinkers indoor pickleball club businesses within a designated RD Territory; also required to own/operate one Dill Dinkers Club under a separate franchise agreement.
- CEO
- William Richards
- Headquarters
- Maryland
- Founded
- 2023
- FDD year
- 2025
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost runs 61% below the typical recreation & entertainment franchise.
Source: FDD 2025 · Items 5–7
FDD Item 7 · 2025 filing
Initial investment breakdown
| Cost component | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise fee | $50K | $50K |
| Working capital (3–6 mo) | $25K | $40K |
| Equipment, build-out, other | $103K | $776K |
| Total initial investment | $178K | $866K |
Source: Dill Dinkers 2025 FDD, Items 5 and 7[2]. “Equipment, build-out, other” is computed as total minus disclosed line items above.
Item 7 · what it costs to open + operate
The Vitals
- Total investment
- $178K – $866K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $25K – $40K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Franchise fee
- $50K – $50K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Royalty
- Not disclosed in this Regional Developer FDD; single-unit…
- Ad fund
- Regional Developer must spend at least $200 per month on …
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Technology fee | $450 |
| Transfer fee | $5K |
ROI & LBO modelsSingle-unit · 25-unit portfolio · editable
Dill Dinkers did not disclose financial performance in FDD Item 19. The ROIC and return models require Item 19 revenue. Without it all inputs are estimates. You can still run the calculator with your own assumptions by entering an expected revenue figure.
Returns model · single-unit ROIC
What would one Dill Dinkers unit return on the cash you put in?
Unlevered ROIC · per unit
Estimated return on your total franchise investment, before any debt financing.
19%
Below the 30–60% attractive-franchise band
These models are for research and scenario planning only. Not investment advice. Actual results depend on your specific location, management, and market conditions. Consult a franchise attorney and accountant before signing any franchise agreement.
Item 19 · Source: 2025 FDD
Financial Performance
Total revenues for FY ended June 30, 2025 of $1,804,271 (vs. $269,467 for the period from July 28, 2023 inception through June 30, 2024). FY2025 revenue comprised franchise fee and regional developer fee income $608,833, royalty income $607,176, technology fee income $298,450, net sales $223,469, and other income $66,343. Auditor's report (signed New York, NY, Dec 19, 2025) issued going-concern qualification; member's deficit of $(3,398,881).
vs Recreation & Entertainment averages
How Dill Dinkers Compares
Is the system healthy?
Source: FDD 2025 · Item 20
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 23
- Opened
- 6
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- N/A
- Turnover rate
- 17.4%
- Company-owned
- 0
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 100%
- vs corporate-owned
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
SBA loan performance
Government records
SBA Loan Data
Aggregated from SBA loan disclosures. This brand has only 5 7(a) loans on file; statistical reliability is limited below 10 loans.
- Total loans
- 5
- Loan volume
- $2.3M
- Median loan
- $355K
- 50th percentile
- Charge-off rate
- N/A
- limited sample (5 loans) — rate not shown below 10
Historical SBA 7(a) lending data, not predictive of future performance. How SBA charge-off rates are calculated
- Repayment rate (PIF)
- N/A
- 5-yr charge-off
- N/A
- Loans approved 2021+
- Active lenders
- 4
- Defaults
- N/A
Explore lender portfolios on Bank Reports or regional data on State Reports.
What could kill this investment?
The auditor flagged going-concern doubt (Item 21) — the single biggest risk here.
Source: SBA 7(a) FOIA · FDD Items 3, 21
Risk analysis
FranchiseVerdict rating + FDD Items 3, 4, 8, 16, 21
Risk & Legal
Litigation (Item 3)
No litigation is required to be disclosed in this Item.
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yesⓘ Going-concern language present, but this is an early-stage franchisor with limited operating history — common for new systems and not necessarily a sign of distress.
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Supplier relationship · Items 8 & 16
- Franchisor sells you products: Yes
- Kickbacks from required suppliers: No
- Must buy proprietary products: Yes
- Restricted to system-approved products: Yes
- Can negotiate own supplier terms: No
What are you signing up for?
Source: FDD 2025 · Items 11, 12, 17
FDD Items 12, 15, 17 · continued from Risk & Legal
Contract & Territory Detail
| Initial term | 10 years |
|---|---|
| Territory type | none |
| Protected territory | No |
| Exclusive territoryℹ | No |
| Territory population | 1,000,000 |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Required |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 2 years |
| Non-compete (miles)ℹ | 10 mi |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| RoFR response window | 30 days |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 30 days |
| Curable defaultsℹ | 2 |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Arbitration location | Columbia, Maryland metropolitan area |
| Governing law | Maryland |
| Litigation count | 0 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
No litigation is required to be disclosed in this Item.
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Training location
- Designated locations chosen by franchisor
- Ongoing training
- Required
- Site selection
- Regional Developer, with franchisor territory designation
- Franchisor financing
- Not offered
- Item 10
- POS system
- Required franchise sales management CRM platform
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: Required franchise sales management CRM platform
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a Dill Dinkers franchise?
The total investment to open a Dill Dinkers franchise ranges from $178K – $866K, with an initial franchise fee of $50K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do Dill Dinkers franchise owners earn?
Dill Dinkers does not disclose average franchise owner earnings in their FDD Item 19. Not all franchisors are required to make financial performance representations. We recommend asking existing franchisees directly about their financial experience.
What is Item 19 in the Dill Dinkers FDD?
The FDD section where a franchisor may disclose financial performance of its outlets. Disclosure is optional and formats vary; figures are typically gross sales, which is revenue before expenses, not profit. FranchiseVerdict extracts these figures directly from the Dill Dinkers FDD and qualifies whose outlets they describe.
What is Dill Dinkers's franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for Dill Dinkers (fewer than 10 loans on file). Charge-off rates are one way to gauge franchise risk, but not all franchise loans go through the SBA program. We recommend reviewing turnover and closure data in the FDD and speaking with current franchisees.
How many Dill Dinkers franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, Dill Dinkers has 23 total units in the United States, including 23 franchised units and 0 company-owned units. 6 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is Dill Dinkers a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates Dill Dinkers as a C-grade franchise with a verdict score of 60 out of 100 (higher is better), based on our analysis of investment costs, revenue data, SBA loan performance, and growth trends. Our rating is based solely on publicly available FDD and government data; we recommend speaking with current franchisees before making any investment decision. This is not investment advice.
Data sourced from public FDD filings and SBA 7(a) FOIA records. Not financial advice.
For franchisors
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Data extracted from public FDD filings and SBA 7(a) loan disclosures (FOIA). This information is provided for research purposes only and does not constitute financial, legal, or investment advice. Verify all figures with the franchisor's current Franchise Disclosure Document before making any investment decision.