Premium pickleball court partnership

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 17/10/2024 (323 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Prepare for the creation of more pickleball courts across Canada — with a Winnipeg-based company leading the charge.

The Picklr, an American pickleball chain, announced its expansion north Thursday. It’s partnered with Winnipeg-based TPC Development Corp. to open 65 Canadian clubs over the next five years.

At least two sites are slated for the Manitoba capital.

“We expect a … rush of interest,” said Bernie Plett, chief executive of TPC Development.

The number of outdoor courts in Manitoba alone could “probably triple” and still not meet demand, according to the president of Pickleball Manitoba.

The Picklr will focus on indoor facilities for the rapidly growing paddle sport. Currently, Manitoba is void of any public pickleball-only indoor sites; the Pickleball Club of Winnipeg is creating the first in Headingley, with a targeted opening date of January 2025.

“There’s a massive need for indoor facilities in Canada,” said Austin Wood, co-founder of the Picklr. “It definitely was the right choice for our second country.”

TPC Development has been scouting locations: empty mall anchors, vacant gyms, industrial warehouses. A good retail space can be converted in three to four months, according to Wood. The Picklr builds its locations, too, though the projects can take two years to complete.

The first Picklrs to open will reside in converted buildings. Spring could see a Picklr in Toronto; one in Winnipeg may not be far behind, Plett said.

He was mum on where Picklr will locate within Manitoba, but Winnipeg is “very important.”

A typical Picklr location holds eight to 10 courts. The brand also builds larger centres with 12 to 15 courts, suitable for lessons and championships.

Winnipeg, Toronto, Calgary and Vancouver could be home to such centres, Plett said.

TPC Development and Picklr will sell franchises to entrepreneurs and split a franchise fee. Already, there’s a slew of people wanting to set roots in Canada, Plett said.

The Picklr has sold nearly 400 American locations in two years, Wood noted.

He and Jorge Barragan began the company in 2021 with a site in Utah. During the first couple years, Picklr grew to seven stores.

“The demand for pickleball is just going so much faster,” Wood said. “If we were building every club ourself … there’d be slow growth.

“It made perfect sense to team up with passionate franchisees.”

The company began franchising in 2023; it’s set to open more than 35 American clubs this year. Meanwhile, it’s set a goal of expanding into a minimum of five new countries by the end of 2025.

Canada seems to be tailing the United States in pickleball growth, Wood relayed. The trend led his team to search for a Canadian partner.

Plett, who has an extensive background in investment banking and sport management, knew an executive at Picklr. By Plett’s summary, Picklr contacted him earlier this year. TPC Development signed a master franchise agreement and will soon have a Picklr presence online.

Plett is heading Picklr’s Canadian expansion with Robert Lloyd, who’s been president of development and sales at Cisco Systems and chief executive of Los Angeles-based Virgin Hyperloop One.

“(This) franchise system will standardize the (pickleball) experience for Canadians,” Plett said, adding franchisees receive a 300-page buildout manual.

Ted Fardoe, president of Pickleball Manitoba, spoke with Plett as Picklr was getting its Canadian bearings.

“My comment to them was, ‘It’d be a fantastic thing to have in Winnipeg, and if the right business model is in place, it’s going to work for you,’” Fardoe said. “There’s going to be demand.”

The sport association has grown to almost 2,000 members, but the number falls far short of representing Manitoba’s pickleball players, Fardoe relayed.

Five years ago, Pickleball Manitoba had one affiliated club. It now expects to have 14 by the year’s end.

“There’s not nearly enough courts for the amount of demand that there is,” Fardoe said. “I think it’ll take years before we actually catch up.”

The average player’s age is trending downwards, he added. Pickleball Manitoba is running clinics for the Manitoba Teachers’ Society to get the activity in schools. It also aims to start a youth competitive division.

Manitoba houses a number of outdoor pickleball courts, but indoor is lacking, Fardoe explained. He praised the Pickleball Club of Winnipeg for its local investment in an eight-court facility.

Membership prices at Picklr will vary by city, according to Wood. Large metropolitan centres like Toronto will be more expensive.

In America, patrons in large cities pay roughly $140 per month for unlimited pickleball. Smaller city residents spend $109 monthly.

Each club employs between 25 and 40 people, Wood said.

gabrielle.piche@winnipegfreepress.com