PKL franchise
2024 filing · March 29, 2024Shares sales figures
PKL at a glance
A pickleball venue with courts, leagues, shuffleboard and cornhole, bars and a restaurant. At the end of 2023 there were 1 PKL locations in the US, all company-owned.
The business
- Franchisor
- Play PKL Franchising LLC
- The company that sells the franchises
- Franchisor based in
- South Boston, Massachusetts
- Typical size
- 15,000–25,000 sq ft
What you pay
- Cost to open
- $3.18M–$7.53M
- Fee, build-out and opening working capital
- Franchise fee
- $55,000
- Paid once, when you sign
- Royalty
- 7%
- 7% of gross revenue, paid weekly, plus 2% to the brand fund
- Brand fund
- 2%
- 2% of gross revenue, paid weekly
- Renewal fee
- See terms
- 50% of the then current Initial Franchise Fee
- Territory
- Protected
- Protected territory
- Franchisor financing
- None offered
Where it is
- US locations, 2023
- 1
- Franchised and company-owned
- Franchised
- 0
- Company-owned
- 1
- Change in 3 years
- 0
- Franchised locations, 2021–2023
From Play PKL Franchising LLC’s 2024 filing; SBA status from the SBA Franchise Directory, October 28, 2026.
Where it ranks
PKL among all franchises with the same figure.
| Figure | PKL | Among all franchises |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, midpointHalfway between the low and high estimate | $5,353,950 | Costs more than 97% of franchises |
| Franchise feePaid once, when you sign | $55,000 | Higher than 82% of franchises |
| RoyaltyShare of sales paid to the franchisor | 7% | Higher than 70% of brands with a set rate |
| US locationsFranchised and company-owned | 1 | Fewer than 88% of franchises |
How much a PKL franchise costs
Opening one PKL costs an estimated $3,179,200 to $7,528,700. That covers the franchise fee and everything else needed to open, through the first months of working capital.
Source: Play PKL Franchising LLC, 2024 filing, page 22
PKL franchise fee
The franchise fee is $55,000. You pay it when you sign the franchise agreement.
Source: Play PKL Franchising LLC, 2024 filing, page 12
Royalty and ongoing fees
| Royalty | 7% of gross revenue, paid weekly, plus 2% to the brand fund. |
|---|---|
| Brand or marketing fund | 2% of gross revenue, paid weekly. |
| Scheduling Software System Fee | $499 per month |
| Transfer Fee | $10,000 |
| Renewal Fee | 50% of the then current Initial Franchise Fee |
| Local Advertising | 1% of Gross Revenue per month |
The typical franchise royalty is 6% of sales, plus 2% for marketing. See franchise fees and royalties to compare.
Source: Play PKL Franchising LLC, 2024 filing, page 13
Other fees as filed, from pages 14–16. The filing lists every fee, including late fees and audit costs.
Sales and earnings
Shares figures PKL publishes sales or earnings figures for its locations. The full tables, with notes on which locations are counted, are in its filing.
Source: Play PKL Franchising LLC, 2024 filing, page 60
How PKL compares
Of the 120 sports franchises on this site, PKL is the 117th cheapest to open and the 100th largest by number of locations.
| Figure | PKL | Typical sports brand | Typical franchise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, low end | $3.18M | $227K | $222K |
| Cost to open, high end | $7.53M | $442K | $477K |
| Franchise fee | $55K | $50K | $40K |
| Royalty | 7% | 7% | 6% |
| Brand fund | 2% | 1% | 2% |
| US locations | 1 | 15 | 21 |
| Shares earnings figures | Yes | 77 of 120 | 2,147 of 3,352 |
Typical is the median across the 120 brands in sports franchises; typical franchise, across every brand here.
Locations opened and closed
| Year | Franchised | Company-owned | Opened | Closed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 0 (0) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 (0) | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 (0) | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Closed or left counts terminations, non-renewals, locations bought back by the franchisor and locations that stopped operating.
See which brands grew most in the fastest-growing franchises rankings.
More in the guides: pickleball franchises and franchise failure rates.
Source: Play PKL Franchising LLC, 2024 filing, page 62
Who owns PKL?
PKL franchises are sold by Play PKL Franchising LLC.
From Play PKL Franchising LLC’s 2024 filing.
Lawsuits and bankruptcy
| Lawsuits and regulatory actions | None. The filing says no litigation has to be disclosed. |
|---|---|
| Bankruptcy | None. The filing says no bankruptcy has to be disclosed. |
Franchisors must disclose lawsuits and bankruptcies involving the company, its parents and affiliates, and its executives. Many cases are routine disputes with franchisees over fees or contracts; read the descriptions in the filing and ask current owners about anything that worries you.
Source: Play PKL Franchising LLC, 2024 filing, litigation on page 12, bankruptcy on page 12
PKL filings
The figures on this page come from Play PKL Franchising LLC’s 2024 filing, issued March 29, 2024, on record with the NASAA Electronic Filing Depository.
| Filing | Issued | Registry | On this page |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 filing | March 29, 2024 | NASAA depository | Costs, fees and locations, 2021–2023 |
Each link opens the filing as a PDF. See the newest filings across all brands.
Other sports franchises
All sports franchises
PKL is also on these lists: entertainment franchises.