TourScale
TourScale is a privately-held platform franchisor that owns and scales five experiential tourism brands — Cruisin' Tikis, Pedal Pub, Trolley Pub, Paddle Pub, and Tiki Pub — across 107 franchise units in the US and Canada, supported by a proprietary AI-powered booking platform and in-house TourCraft vessel manufacturing.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2011
- HeadquartersRaleigh, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What TourScale does
TourScale is a privately-held platform franchisor operating in the experiential tourism sector, headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina with offices in Raleigh and Austin. Founded in 2011 by Kai Kaapro and Andrew Cole as Trolley Pub in Tucson, Arizona, the company evolved from a single pedal-powered party trolley concept into a multi-brand franchise platform that owns, operates, and scales five experiential tourism brands: Cruisin' Tikis (floating tiki bars), Pedal Pub (party bikes), Trolley Pub (party trolleys), Paddle Pub (pedal-powered party boats), and Tiki Pub (tiki-themed pontoons). As of April 2026, the network comprises 107 franchise units across the United States and Canada following the acquisitions of Cruisin' Tikis in 2025 and Pedal Pub in April 2026.
The company's core technology stack centers on the proprietary TourStaff booking platform, which franchisees use to manage reservations, send transactional SMS communications, and process payments via Stripe integration. TourScale positions an AI-powered operating layer providing intelligent pricing, automated guest engagement, and real-time performance insights across the network, built on AWS infrastructure with integrations to Twilio (SMS), Stripe (payments), and Peek Pro (booking management). Vertical integration is deepened by TourCraft, an in-house manufacturing division that builds custom tiki boats, pedal trolleys, paddle boats, and tiki pontoons for the franchise network, providing cost and quality control over the capital equipment that represents roughly 60% of franchisee investment.
TourScale generates revenue through a three-stream franchise model: a one-time $49,950 franchise fee per territory, an ongoing 6% royalty on franchisee gross revenue, and a 2% advertising fund contribution. The company sells franchise opportunities through a dedicated franchise development team using a structured seven-step discovery process, targeting entrepreneurs with $250K net worth and $75K liquid capital. End consumers book experiences directly through franchisee-operated locations via the TourStaff platform. The company is co-led by founders Kai Kaapro and Andrew Cole as Co-CEOs, with Jake Halbert serving as President of the newly acquired Pedal Pub division. TourScale was ranked #1 Recreational Tour Franchise and #314 overall in Entrepreneur Magazine's 2026 Franchise 500.
TourScale firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- TourScale
- Legal name
- TourScale
- Website
- https://tourscale.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2011
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- TourScale is a privately-held platform franchisor that owns and scales five experiential tourism brands — Cruisin' Tikis, Pedal Pub, Trolley Pub, Paddle Pub, and Tiki Pub — across 107 franchise units in the US and Canada, supported by a proprietary AI-powered booking platform and in-house TourCraft vessel manufacturing.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where TourScale is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Raleigh
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices3 records
Markets served
TourScale business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Franchise Fees: One-time franchise fee of $49,950 per single territory, charged to new franchisees upon signing.
- Royalty Fees: Ongoing royalty of 6% of gross revenue collected from franchisees on a regular basis.
- Advertising Fund: Ad fund contribution of 2% of gross revenue collected from franchisees for national marketing initiatives.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | Single territory franchise opportunity |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
TourScale product offering
Product offeringCore offering
TourScale is a platform franchisor that sells franchise opportunities for five experiential tourism brands — Cruisin' Tikis (floating tiki bars), Pedal Pub (party bikes), Trolley Pub (party trolleys), Paddle Pub (pedal party boats), and Tiki Pub (tiki pontoons). Franchisees receive a proprietary AI-powered booking and operations platform (TourStaff), national marketing support, vertically integrated custom-built vessels from TourCraft Manufacturing, and comprehensive training and operational support. Revenue is generated through one-time franchise fees, recurring royalties, and advertising fund contributions.
Product overview
TourScale is a platform franchisor that owns, operates, and scales a portfolio of five proven experiential tourism brands: Cruisin' Tikis (floating tiki bars), Pedal Pub (party bikes), Trolley Pub (party trolleys), Paddle Pub (pedal-powered party boats), and Tiki Pub (tiki-themed pontoons). The platform provides franchisees with proprietary booking technology, AI-powered operational tools, national marketing support, manufacturing through TourCraft, and comprehensive training. TourScale's infrastructure supports operators across the entire business stack—from booking optimization and SMS guest communications to asset procurement and maintenance support—enabling entrepreneurs to build businesses with real capital equipment assets (boats and vehicles) rather than just fees.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Cruisin' Tikis: The original floating tiki bar franchise with over 100 boats in 40+ locations across the US. Handcrafted tiki boats with licensed captains for sunset, daytime, and private charters.
- Pedal Pub
- Trolley Pub
- Paddle Pub
- Tiki Pub
Products and services
- TourScale Franchise Opportunity Premier platform franchisor opportunity that sells franchise rights for five proven experiential tourism brands across 440+ territories in the US and Canada. Franchisees pay a one-time $49,950 franchise fee per territory, plus 6% royalty and 2% ad fund contribution, and receive proprietary AI-powered technology, national marketing support, custom-built vessels, training, and operational infrastructure.
- Cruisin' Tikis Floating tiki bar franchise offering handcrafted tiki boats with licensed captains for sunset, daytime, and private charter experiences, accommodating 6-18 passengers. Operated in 40+ US locations as part of the TourScale platform franchisor network.
- Pedal Pub The original party bike franchise since 2007 featuring 15-passenger pedal-powered pubs rolling through downtowns across the US and Canada. Operated with trained drivers leading curated routes for birthdays, bachelorettes, and corporate events. Acquired by TourScale in April 2026.
- Trolley Pub Original pedal-powered party trolley franchise and flagship TourScale brand. Up to 14 passengers pedal through city streets on 2-hour guided tours combining exercise, celebration, and sightseeing with a professional party captain.
- Paddle Pub Pedal-powered party boat franchise bringing the party concept to the water. USCG-certified vessels hold 16-26 passengers and cruise scenic waterways with licensed captains, featuring premium sound systems and BYOB policies.
- Tiki Pub Tiki-themed party pontoon franchise bringing tropical island energy to local waterways. Custom tiki-themed pontoon boats accommodate 6-25 passengers for laid-back cruises with a party atmosphere, built by TourCraft Manufacturing.
- TourStaff Platform Proprietary AI-powered operator platform used by TourScale franchise locations to manage bookings, send transactional SMS messages including booking confirmations, payment links, and tour reminders, and coordinate operations with payment processing through Stripe integration.
- TourCraft Manufacturing In-house manufacturing division that builds custom tiki boats, pedal trolleys, paddle boats, and tiki-themed pontoons for TourScale franchise brands. Provides quality control and custom-built assets for the franchise network as part of TourScale's vertically integrated franchise platform.
Quantifiable outcome
- 62,000+ five-star reviews for Cruisin' Tikis brand
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use TourScale
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
TourScale technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration4 records
AI capability1 record
Feature5 records
TourScale partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Pedal PubcoreTourScale acquired Pedal Pub, the original party bike company founded in 2007 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The acquisition added 50 franchised and licensed locations across the U.S. and Canada, expanding TourScale's network to 107 open franchise units. Jake Halbert joined as President of Pedal Pub for leadership continuity.
- TourCraft ManufacturingcoreTourCraft is the company's in-house manufacturing division that builds custom vessels and vehicles for franchisees, including tiki boats for Cruisin' Tikis and Tiki Pub, pedal boats for Paddle Pub, and trolleys for Trolley Pub. This vertical integration provides quality control and custom-built assets for the franchise network.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
TourScale competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- City Sightseeing Worldwide: Global hop-on-hop-off sightseeing bus franchise operator with a multi-city licensing/franchise model. Closely comparable to TourScale's franchise-based tour business, particularly Trolley Pub and Pedal Pub, in distribution model and target tourist use case.
- Big Bus Tours: Operates open-top sightseeing bus tours in major global cities, often via franchise or licensed-operator arrangements. Comparable to TourScale's land-based sightseeing brands (Trolley Pub, Pedal Pub) in customer experience and franchise-style operator network.
- Gray Line Worldwide: Long-standing tour operator franchise network offering sightseeing, day tours, and charter services worldwide. Direct comparable to TourScale's multi-brand tour platform franchisor model, with similar mix of land and water sightseeing experiences.
- Historic Tours of America: Operates branded sightseeing tours (including Old Town Trolley Tours and similar concepts) across multiple US destinations via franchise and licensing arrangements. Comparable to TourScale's multi-brand sightseeing platform franchisor approach in destination markets.
Broad incumbents
- Hornblower Group / City Experiences: Large-scale operator of water-based sightseeing, cruises, ferries, and experiences across the US and internationally. Directly comparable to TourScale's water-based brands (Cruisin' Tikis, Paddle Pub, Tiki Pub) but operates as a broad incumbent rather than a franchise platform.
- Topgolf: Large experiential entertainment operator with a venue/franchise-style model focused on sports-entertainment venues. Comparable to TourScale as a scaled experiential leisure platform with multi-site operations and a shared technology/marketing backbone.
- Xponential Fitness: Public multi-brand franchisor of boutique fitness studios (Club Pilates, CycleBar, Rumble, etc.). Most direct comparable in business model to TourScale's platform franchisor approach, with shared services across multiple acquired/launched experiential brands.
Emerging players
- Andretti Indoor Karting & Games: Multi-location experiential entertainment operator with franchised/licensed venues featuring go-karts, arcade, and dining. Comparable to TourScale as an emerging experiential entertainment platform with multi-unit franchise-style expansion.
- Urban Air Adventure Park: Franchise platform operating indoor adventure parks with trampolines, climbing, and group attractions. Comparable to TourScale as an emerging experiential leisure franchisor targeting group/customer occasions similar to TourScale's bachelorette/birthday use cases.
- Pinstripes: Multi-unit experiential entertainment/dining operator combining bowling, bocce, and bistro experiences for group occasions. Comparable to TourScale as an emerging experiential leisure platform serving similar group/customer occasions with multi-site expansion.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
TourScale social profiles
Digital presenceTourScale financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
TourScale leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
TourScale subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries5 records
TourScale funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
TourScale M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A2 records
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about TourScale
What does TourScale do?
TourScale is a platform franchisor that sells franchise opportunities for five experiential tourism brands — Cruisin' Tikis (floating tiki bars), Pedal Pub (party bikes), Trolley Pub (party trolleys), Paddle Pub (pedal party boats), and Tiki Pub (tiki pontoons). Franchisees receive a proprietary AI-powered booking and operations platform (TourStaff), national marketing support, vertically integrated custom-built vessels from TourCraft Manufacturing, and comprehensive training and operational support. Revenue is generated through one-time franchise fees, recurring royalties, and advertising fund contributions.
Is TourScale a public or private company?
TourScale is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was TourScale founded?
TourScale was founded in 2011. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is TourScale based?
TourScale is headquartered in Raleigh, United States, in the North America region.
How does TourScale make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Franchise Fees are the primary driver. The others are royalty Fees and advertising Fund.
Who are TourScale's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are City Sightseeing Worldwide, Big Bus Tours, Gray Line Worldwide and Historic Tours of America. Broad incumbents are Hornblower Group / City Experiences, Topgolf and Xponential Fitness. Emerging players are Andretti Indoor Karting & Games, Urban Air Adventure Park and Pinstripes.
Does TourScale have an API?
No public API is recorded for TourScale.