Franchisor Stories
How PickleRage is building a national indoor pickleball franchise by pairing year-round access, large-format facilities and a real estate-first strategy designed to scale with demand.
PickleRage has officially earned a place on 1851 Franchise’s 2026 Fastest Growing Emerging Franchises list — a recognition that highlights brands shaping the future of franchising through innovation, momentum and strong demand. As interest from franchisees continues to climb, PickleRage is entering a pivotal phase of expansion.
PickleRage was founded in 2023 after its leadership team saw a growing gap between pickleball’s popularity and the places available to actually play. Outdoor courts became more common, but access was still hit or miss. Weather, packed public facilities and a lack of true indoor club spaces made consistent leagues and programming difficult.
Rather than retrofitting existing gyms or shared-use spaces, PickleRage was developed as a dedicated indoor pickleball club concept from day one. The founders, who had strong real estate backgrounds, focused on finding well-located spaces that could support indoor pickleball.
PickleRage operates as a membership-based indoor pickleball club. The focus is on giving players a place they can use regularly, not just once in a while. Most locations are large, usually between 25,000 and 50,000 square feet, with eight to 15 courts inside. Because of the size, clubs can handle different types of play at the same time.
The model is designed to keep things simple. Staffing is lean, the layout does not change much from location to location, and income comes from several areas, not just memberships. Programming, events, and small retail or food options help round it out. Franchisees also receive support in site selection, lease negotiations, build-out, training and launch, as well as ongoing operational and marketing support.
Momentum accelerated sharply in 2025 as PickleRage signed 17 new franchise agreements in the first half of the year alone. During that period, the brand expanded into new markets across the Midwest, Northeast, Southeast and Mid-Atlantic, while opening additional corporate and franchised clubs.
The brand currently has nine locations open in Alabama, Florida, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Ohio and South Carolina, with expansion into Illinois, Texas, Indiana, Arizona, Nevada and North Carolina well underway. To support this growth, the brand invested in its internal team, adding leadership across franchise development, marketing and construction management.
Pickleball participation continues to grow across age groups, with indoor access becoming increasingly important as communities outgrow their outdoor court capacity. At the same time, many prime markets remain underserved by dedicated indoor facilities.
PickleRage is still early in its growth, but the club model and site strategy are already in place. That creates an opening for new franchisees to secure good territories while there is still room in the market.
PickleRage plans to keep adding new locations while paying close attention to how existing clubs are performing. Growth is planned, but the focus stays on supporting current franchisees as the system expands.
Over the next several years, the brand is aiming to grow to more than 500 clubs nationwide as training, tools and day-to-day support continue to develop.
Stay tuned throughout the rest of the month for 1851 Franchise's full Fastest Growing Emerging Franchises series to explore the other innovative brands making waves in the industry.
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