Indoor pickleball facility company Dill Dinkers announced its 14th regional development deal with local business partners who have committed to open “at least 50 locations” in the North Texas area—including in Euless, Southlake, Keller, Frisco, Little Elm, McKinney, and Mansfield.
Maryland-based Dill Dinkers joins a growing list of other pickleball venues already operating in or coming to North Texas—including Pickleball Kingdom in Plano, Pickle and Social in Frisco, Picklemall in Dallas, and The Picklr in Dallas and Fort Worth.
The Dill Dinkers undertaking is backed by Justin Goehring and Brock Oldenkamp, two entrepreneurs aim to introduce a dedicated indoor pickleball concept and a year-round solution for players who are subdued by “the Texas heat and Southern wind.”
“Justin and Brock are exactly the type of developers we’re looking for,” Ben Litalien, chief development officer at Dill Dinkers, said in a statement. “They’re joining our team with strong business acumen and an established franchise network that will no doubt bring success to their locations in the Dallas region. The pair believe in the power of pickleball to drive impact locally and we’re excited to support them as they build something special for Dallas and the Dill Dinkers family for years to come.”
More on local backers behind the deal
Dill Dinkers said that Goehring, a serial entrepreneur, worked with Verizon where he ran private distribution before venturing into the business as a franchisee himself in his late twenties, greatly expanding the footprint. He also grew a truck business from 13 to 100 trucks for FedEx before spearheading his own franchise business.
Today, Goehring owns Bazooka Charlie’s Barber Co., a barbershop franchise with seven locations “and growing” throughout Dallas-Fort Worth.
Oldenkamp owns Azle-based KNO Construction, a company that specializes in commercial and residential construction, and is “an avid real estate investor.”
‘Hooked’ after 10 minutes on the court
“After playing pickleball for ten minutes, I was hooked,” Goehring said in a statement. “Dill Dinkers has established itself as a leader in providing accessible indoor pickleball facilities, and I am thrilled to bring such a valuable concept into the area I grew up in. We noticed that there weren’t many pickleball courts here and are looking forward to providing players more court time year-round with high-quality indoor courts that create a safe place where players can have fun and improve their skills.”
“We’re thrilled to be early adopters of an emerging concept and appreciate the collaboration thus far with the executive team to develop the Dill Dinkers name and look forward to elevating the pickleball player experience in our community,” Goehring added.
Goehring’s experience as a franchisor and Oldenkamp’s expertise in real estate and construction, combined with their extensive knowledge operating Bazooka Charlie’s and KNO Construction, position the team to develop a strong franchise network as Dill Dinkers regional developers, Dill Dinkers said.
As they grow their footprint in the DFW region, Dill Dinkers said Goehring and Oldenkamp are seeking franchise candidates who are passionate about providing pickleball players with a premier indoor pickleball offering while supporting their local community.
250 locations committed in less than 2 years
Since its founding in November 2022 in Columbia, Maryland, Dill Dinkers said it has been “at the forefront of the pickleball phenomenon” with its “state-of-the-art” dedicated indoor pickleball facilities.
Dill Dinkers has four company-owned locations in Maryland with another set to open in Manassas later this month, and since the launch of its nationwide franchise program in September, the company says it has signed developers in Texas, Washington D.C., North Carolina, Connecticut, South Carolina, Arizona, Maryland, Virginia, and Pennsylvania for “over 250” committed locations.
By year’s end, Dill Dinkers said it expects to have a total of 30 opened locations and more than 500 committed locations as it continues to partner with qualified applicants targeting markets coast to coast.
“We started Dill Dinkers because of our unwavering passion for the sport and the community it has provided us,” Co-Founder and CEO Will Richards said in a statement. “As a former Dominos multi-unit franchisee, it was crucial for us to build a strong network of support ahead of our franchising launch, and now with our 14th regional developers on board, we are thrilled to welcome experienced operators like Justin and Brock who are just as passionate about spreading the joy of pickleball. We look forward to seeing how the team extends our name in Dallas and how other entrepreneurs can benefit from a premier indoor pickleball offering and a strong network of support.”
Dill Dinkers said its franchise offers regional territories and single units for development featuring nine revenue streams, a “robust” operating system, a proprietary reporting and management platform that is mobile-enabled through Court Reserve, an intensive training system, and a turnkey marketing program for grand opening and membership development.
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