What The Pickle Pad does

The Pickle Pad is a US-based indoor pickleball entertainment franchise founded in 2023-2024 and headquartered in Dallas, Texas. It operates under the Indoor Active Brands platform, which also owns Altitude Trampoline Park and brings 45+ years of combined indoor entertainment franchising experience. The core product is a multi-attraction venue combining professional-grade indoor pickleball courts (Cushion X surface) with 20+ social and yard games, mini golf, golf simulators, PIQLZ computerized pickleball simulators, big-screen TVs, and a full-service sports bar and restaurant (Crave Social Eatery) with mobile ordering via Toast. Two locations are currently open in Tallahassee, FL (6 courts) and Port Arthur, TX (5 courts), with seven additional locations in development across the Southeast, Mid-Atlantic, and Mountain West.

The business operates on an asset-light franchise model targeting prospective franchisees with a minimum $1.5M net worth and $400K liquidity. The franchise fee is $50,000 per location, decreasing to $40,000 and $30,000 for the second and subsequent units respectively, with a 6% ongoing royalty on gross sales and a 2% brand fund contribution. Total initial franchisee investment ranges from $1.5M to $4M per unit. Revenue streams at the unit level include court rentals ($9.99-$29.99/hr by time of day), tiered Gold/Silver/Bronze monthly memberships, food and beverage sales, birthday party packages ($24.99-$399), corporate and private event rentals, league and clinic fees (via Honcho Pickleball and Capital City Cornhole Club partnerships), and mini golf (Birdie ParTee, $30/month membership). Customer segments span pickleball enthusiasts, families and friend groups, corporate groups, social/dining patrons, and youth/adult celebration hosts, with the company positioning itself as a third-space destination rather than a single-purpose sports facility.

Name

The Pickle Pad

Legal name

The Pickle Pad

Website

https://thepicklepad.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2024

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

The Pickle Pad is a US franchise of indoor pickleball entertainment venues combining professional-grade courts, 20+ social games, mini golf, golf simulators, and a full-service sports bar (Crave Social Eatery), serving families, friend groups, corporate clients, and pickleball enthusiasts across multiple states.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Dallas

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Court Rentals: Hourly court rental fees for pickleball play, varying by time of day (weekday open play $9.99, prime time up to $29.99/hr). Reservations include up to 2 hours of court time, accommodating up to 8 guests.
2. Food & Beverage (Crave Social Eatery): Full-service restaurant and sports bar offering shareables, mains, craft cocktails, beer, and wine. Mobile ordering delivers directly to courts. Happy hour specials (Mon-Thu 3-5pm) drive additional sales.
3. Membership Subscriptions: Tiered monthly membership model (Gold, Silver, Bronze) providing recurring revenue. Benefits include free weekday drop-in play, court discounts, and food/beverage discounts. Month-to-month with automatic renewal.
4. Birthday Parties & Events: Event packages for birthday parties including court time, food, and entertainment. Multiple pricing tiers ($24.99-$399) based on duration and group size. Private facility rentals also available.
5. Leagues & Clinics: Organized league play (pickleball and cornhole) and instructional clinics. Leagues run 8-week seasons with partnership with Honcho Pickleball.
6. Golf Simulators & Mini Golf: Golf simulator hourly rentals and 9-hole mini golf courses at select locations. Birdie ParTee membership available for mini golf enthusiasts ($30/month).
7. Franchise Fees & Royalties: Franchise fee of $50,000 per location (reduced rates for multi-location agreements). Ongoing 6% royalty fee on gross sales and 2% brand fund contribution.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Pickle Pad operates indoor pickleball entertainment venues featuring professional-grade courts, 20+ social and yard games, mini golf, golf simulators, and an in-house full-service sports bar and restaurant called Crave Social Eatery. The company sells court rentals, memberships, food and beverage, birthday party packages, corporate event rentals, leagues and clinics, and offers its concept as a franchise.

Product overview

The Pickle Pad is a pickleball-focused entertainment franchise offering indoor pickleball venues combined with social gaming and dining. The core product is professional-grade indoor pickleball courts (6 courts in Tallahassee, 5 in Port Arthur), supplemented by over 20 social and yard games, mini golf (9-hole funhouse courses), golf simulators, and the in-house restaurant brand Crave Social Eatery. The company operates on a franchise model with multiple revenue streams including court rentals, memberships (Gold/Silver/Bronze tiers), leagues and clinics, event hosting, and food and beverage sales. Additional offerings include birthday party packages, corporate team-building events, and the Birdie ParTee mini golf membership program.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Crave Social Eatery: Full-service restaurant and bar featuring chef-inspired menu with shareables, hearty mains, craft cocktails, and curated beer and wine selection. Located within The Pickle Pad venues.

Products and services

• Indoor Pickleball Court Rentals Professional-grade indoor pickleball courts available by reservation or open play, accommodating up to 8 guests per court with hourly rates varying by time of day and location.
• Crave Social Eatery In-house full-service sports bar and restaurant offering chef-inspired shareables, hearty mains, craft cocktails, and curated beer and wine selection. Mobile ordering delivers directly to courts via Toast platform.
• Social and Yard Games Over 20 social and yard games including cornhole, four in a row, tumbling timbers, ping pong, foosball, ring on a string, table hockey, NBA hoops, and arcade games, available alongside pickleball courts.
• Mini Golf 9-hole funhouse mini golf course available at select locations including Port Arthur, TX, featuring themed play-all-day layout with twists, turns, and surprises.
• Golf Simulators State-of-the-art golf simulators with swing-tracking technology on hundreds of courses, plus football, basketball, and baseball experiences, available at select locations.
• Birthday Party Packages Curated birthday party experiences with court time, food and beverage credits, and access to social games. Packages include Ace Party ($24.99/player), Overhead Smash ($29.99/player), and Dink & Drink ($399 flat rate for groups up to 16).
• Group Events and Corporate Team-Building Private event packages for large groups and corporate clients including court space, dedicated lounge seating, full access to social games, buffet options, and beer, wine, and cocktails served courtside. Full facility rentals available.
• Membership Program Three-tiered monthly subscription membership offering free weekday drop-in play until noon, court rental discounts (20-50%), food and beverage discounts (20%), and free coffee during open play. Gold, Silver, and Bronze tiers with month-to-month auto-renewal.
• Pickleball Clinics and Leagues New player clinics led by certified coaches ($25 per player, up to 8 players per session) and league play through Honcho Pickleball partnership including ladder leagues, doubles leagues, and 8-week seasons.
• Cornhole Leagues Weekly cornhole leagues hosted with Capital City Cornhole Club, held Mondays 7-10pm, open to all skill levels.
• Franchise Opportunity Licensed franchise rights to operate a Pickle Pad indoor pickleball entertainment venue. Initial franchise fee $50,000 per location (reduced for multi-location deals and veterans), ongoing 6% royalty on gross sales and 2% brand fund contribution. Minimum net worth $1.5M, $400K liquidity required. Total initial investment $1.5M–$4M.
• Birdie ParTee Membership $30 monthly membership for mini golf enthusiasts offering full weekday access to Birdie ParTee courses, member-only rates, and discounts at Crave Social Eatery.

Quantifiable outcome

• 87.5% pickleball sport growth rate
• +4 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Honcho PickleballcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOfficial league partner for organized pickleball competition. Provides ladder leagues, doubles leagues, and 8-week seasons. League play held Tuesdays 6-10pm. Partnership brings real indoor league play and community building to Pickle Pad locations.
• Capital City Cornhole ClubminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHosted cornhole league partner. Brings bags, boards, and weekly competitive play. Open to all skill levels. Sessions held Mondays 7-10pm.
• PIQLZcoreTechnology or IntegrationTechnology partner providing computerized pickleball simulator for high-tech pickleball experiences. Differentiates The Pickle Pad from basic court facilities.
• Birdie ParTeecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMini golf brand extension. Birdie ParTee membership unlocks all-day play and perks. $30 monthly membership includes full access on weekdays, member-only rates, and discounts at Crave Social Eatery.
• Crave Social EaterycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIn-house restaurant brand offering chef-inspired menu, craft cocktails, beer, wine. Full-service dining with mobile ordering delivered to courts. Key differentiator from competitors.
• Altitude Trampoline ParkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSister brand under Indoor Active Brands parent company. Shared franchise leadership, vendor networks, and operational expertise. Altitude provides franchisee testimonials and proven track record in indoor entertainment.
• Indoor Active BrandscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParent company and platform organization. Provides franchise leadership team, vendor partnerships, real estate support, construction, architecture, and supply chain networks. 45+ years combined experience in entertainment franchising.
• VetFranminorGTM or Marketing PartnerVeteran franchise partnership program. Offers qualified veterans a 25% discount on initial franchise fee. Supports veteran entrepreneurship in franchise system.
• ServSafeminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerFood safety certification required for franchise owners and staff prior to opening. TIPS alcohol training also required for team members serving alcohol.
• ToastcoreTechnology or IntegrationPoint-of-sale, reservation, and mobile ordering platform. Handles court reservations, event bookings, gift cards, and email marketing. Powers online ordering for Crave Social Eatery.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Puttshack: Puttshack is a tech-enabled mini golf and dining concept with tracked golf balls and full bar service — relevant to Pickle Pad's mini golf, golf simulator, and Crave Social Eatery components.
• Swingers: Swingers is a competitive socializing venue pairing crazy golf with cocktails and street-food dining — a structurally similar (sport + bar + food) hybrid that targets the same adult group-outing occasion as Pickle Pad.

Direct peers

• Chicken N Pickle: Chicken N Pickle operates indoor and outdoor pickleball courts combined with a full restaurant, bar, and yard games under one roof — the closest structural analog to The Pickle Pad's pickleball-plus-dining-plus-social-games hybrid model.
• The Pickleball Club: The Pickleball Club is an indoor pickleball venue operator offering courts, leagues, and social play in a club-style setting — overlapping with Pickle Pad's core court-rental and league business.
• Dill Dinkers: Dill Dinkers operates indoor pickleball clubs with memberships, leagues and lessons — a focused single-sport competitor to Pickle Pad, useful as a benchmark for pure-pickleball unit economics.
• Pickleball Kingdom: Pickleball Kingdom is a membership-driven indoor pickleball club franchise offering open play, leagues, clinics and tournaments — directly comparable to Pickle Pad's pickleball-first franchise model with recurring member revenue.

Broad incumbents

• Bowlero: Bowlero is the largest bowling-and-entertainment center operator in the US with full F&B programs, comparable venue scale, and a similar mix of leagues, parties and group events that Pickle Pad also monetizes.
• Altitude Trampoline Park: Sister brand under Indoor Active Brands, Altitude is an established indoor active-entertainment franchise with shared leadership, vendor, and real-estate infrastructure that Pickle Pad leverages for national rollout.
• Main Event Entertainment: Main Event operates large-format family entertainment centers with bowling, laser tag, arcade, and F&B — a broader FEC incumbent competing for the same discretionary family/group spend that Pickle Pad targets.

Others

• Pinstripes: Pinstripes combines bowling, bocce, and Italian dining in an upscale venue format with private events — adjacent entertainment-plus-dining competitor for premium group events and corporate bookings.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/picklepad
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/thepicklepad

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Pickle Pad