Dill Dinkers PickleballFranchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Dill Dinkers Pickleball franchise requires a total initial investment of $178K – $866K, including a $125K franchise fee. The 2025 FDD does not disclose unit-level revenue (no Item 19). Verdict grade: B. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified June 18, 2026 · figures per the 2025 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $178K – $866K
- 31st pct Health & Fitn…
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- 59th pct Health & Fitn…
- Royalty
- N/A
- Units
- 23
- 59th pct Health & Fitn…
- SBA default
- N/A
Quick verdict · Health & Fitness · color = vs category peers
Green = >15% above Health & Fitness avg · No shading = within ±15% · Red = >15% below avg · Source: FDD filings + SBA 7(a)
Data from public FDD filings and SBA records. Not financial advice. Methodology
Started franchising in 2023. Newer systems carry more uncertainty but may offer better territories.
The franchisor's auditor raised doubt about continued operations. This is a serious risk signal.
Bottom line
- Total investment $178K – $866K including a $125K franchise fee.
- No Item 19 financial performance data disclosed. The franchisor chose not to publish revenue figures.
- Verdict B (Above Average) with a risk score of 60/100.
- Auditor 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
- Legal entity
- Dill Dinkers Franchising, LLC
- Parent company
- Dill Dinkers Holdings, Inc.
- Incorporated in
- DE
- HQ
- 9220 Rumsey Road, Suite 101, Columbia, Maryland 21045
- Auditor
- Citrin Cooperman & Company, LLP
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $269K
- vs $1.8M prior year
- ⚠ Going-concern note
- Disclosed in FDD 2025
- Auditor flagged doubt about continued operations. Verify against the latest FDD before deciding.
Affiliated brands
- Dill Dinkers
- Dill Dinkers IP
Other brands the franchisor or its parent operates (Item 1).
Overview
About
Franchisees operate indoor/outdoor pickleball facilities offering court rentals, lessons, leagues, and tournaments. Day-to-day operations include court maintenance, staff scheduling, member management, event coordination, and food/beverage service. Revenue derives from hourly court fees, membership packages, instruction fees, and ancillary services.
- CEO
- William Richards
- Headquarters
- MD
- Founded
- 2023
- FDD year
- 2025
- States available
- 14
FDD Item 7 · 2025 filing · 10 line items
Initial investment breakdown
| Line item | Low | High | |
|---|---|---|---|
| RD Territory Feenot refundable | $125K | $750K | |
| Training Expenses | $2K | $3K | |
| Rent, Security & Utility Deposits | $8K | $15K | |
| Leasehold Improvements | $5K | $35K | |
| Furnishings, Fixtures, Supplies, and Equipment | $9K | $13K | |
| Computers System | $2K | $3K | |
| Insurance | $1K | $3K | |
| Business Licenses, Legal Fees, Other Professional Fees | $2K | $4K | |
| Local Advertising and Social Engagement - Initial 3 Months | $600 | $2K | |
| Additional Funds - Initial 3 Months | $25K | $40K | |
| Total initial investment | $178K | $866K |
Line items extracted from FDD Item 7. Ranges reflect the franchisor's stated low and high per line. Total is the sum of line-item lows / highs — actual costs may fall outside this range depending on market and build-out scope.
Item 7 · what it costs to open + operate
The Vitals
- Total investment
- $178K – $866K
- Better than avg vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $25K – $40K
- Near category avg vs category
- Franchise fee
- $125K – $750K
- Below avg, review vs category
- Royalty
- -n/d
- Ad fund
- -n/d
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Technology fee | $450 |
| Transfer fee | $5K |
Financial Performance
This franchisor did not disclose financial performance representations in Item 19, or our extractor could not parse them.
vs Health & Fitness averages
How Dill Dinkers Pickleball Compares
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 23
- Opened
- 10
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 4
- Turnover rate
- 17.4%
- Company-owned
- 0
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 100%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (yr3)
- +35.3%
- Net unit change last year
3-year detail · Item 20
- Opened (3yr)
- 4
- Closed (3yr)
- 0
- Terminated (3yr)
- 0
- Non-renewed (3yr)
- 0
- Transfers (3yr)
- 0
- Reacquired (3yr)
- 0
- Franchisor bought back
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 20 · 13 states with active franchisees
The Territory Map
Derived from franchisee contact records. Shows states with at least one current operator. Not where the franchisor is registered to sell new units (that data is re-extracting in a future refresh).
States derived from franchisee contact records (FDD Item 20). Shows states with at least one current operator on file. Full state registration data (Item 12) will appear on a future FDD refresh.
Available to sell in · Item 12
- Hawaii
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- North Dakota
- Rhode Island
- South Dakota
- Washington
States where the franchisor is registered to sell new franchises (FDD registration filings).
Fast growth in a small system. Newer franchisors expanding quickly may not yet have the support infrastructure of larger systems.
SBA loan performance
Government records
SBA Loan Data
Aggregated from SBA 7(a) and 504 loan disclosures, public data unique to FranchiseVerdict.
- Total loans
- 10
- Loan volume
- N/A
- Amount data pending
- Median loan
- N/A
- Charge-off rate
- N/A
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
- 0
- Defaults
- 0
Explore lender portfolios on Bank Reports or regional data on State Reports.
Risk analysis
FranchiseVerdict rating + FDD Items 3, 5, 6, 12, 17
Risk & Legal
High-growth early-stage franchise with opaque unit economics, unprotected territories, and undisclosed royalties presents significant validation and competitive risk.
Litigation (Item 3)
0 case reference(s): 0 pending, 0 settled.
Largest disclosed settlement: $750,000
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · Citrin Cooperman & Company, LLP⚠ Going-concern note flagged
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Supplier relationship · Items 8 & 16
- Franchisor sells you products: No
- Must buy proprietary products: No
- Restricted to system-approved products: No
Score breakdown · what drove the 60 / 100 rating
- 01MEDNo Item 19 financial disclosure (average unit revenue and net income not disclosed) — unable to validate ROI claims
- 02MEDRoyalty fee not disclosed — unclear ongoing cost structure and franchisor incentive alignment
- 03MINORTerritory not protected — franchisees face internal competition and cannibalization risk
- 04MINORWide investment range ($178K-$866K) suggests inconsistent unit economics or undefined buildout standards
- 05MINORHigh franchise fee ($125K) relative to pickleball market maturity and lack of proven unit economics
- 06MINORRapid growth (35.3% YoY) with only 23 units — expansion pace may outpace support infrastructure and market saturation
Severity inferred from the FDD text · not a regulatory classification
FDD Items 5, 6, 12, 17 · continued from Risk & Legal
Contract & Territory Detail
| Initial term | 10 years |
|---|---|
| Allowed renewalsℹ | 0 |
| Territory type | Population-based US Census |
| Protected territory | No |
| Territory population | 100,000 |
| Online sales rightsℹ | Restricted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Required |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 2 years |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| RoFR response window | 30 days |
| Termination notice | 30 days |
| Termination groundsℹ | 1 |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | Maryland |
| Litigation count | 0 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
0 case reference(s): 0 pending, 0 settled.
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 16 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 8 hrs
- Training location
- On-site and corporate
- Franchisor financing
- Offered
- Item 10
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
22 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
Dill Dinkers Pickleball · FDD (2025) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a Dill Dinkers Pickleball franchise?
The total investment to open a Dill Dinkers Pickleball franchise ranges from $178K – $866K, with an initial franchise fee of $125K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do Dill Dinkers Pickleball franchise owners earn?
Dill Dinkers Pickleball 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 Dill Dinkers Pickleball's franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for Dill Dinkers Pickleball (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 Pickleball franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, Dill Dinkers Pickleball has 23 total units in the United States, including 0 franchised units and 0 company-owned units. 10 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is Dill Dinkers Pickleball a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates Dill Dinkers Pickleball as a B-grade franchise with a risk score of 60 out of 100, 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.
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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.