Pickleball has gotten so popular, sometimes it’s hard to get on a court. With that in mind, one enterprising pickleball enthusiast hopes to turn his passion into a national phenomenon. “We all know how fun pickleball is. What’s not fun is waiting for a court, playing in the heat or cold with the sun in your eyes, and having the wind affect your game. We’ve solved all those problems in Arizona. Now we’re exporting it, first to the rest of the country … then the world.” According to the Phoenix Business Journal, that’s the dream of Mike Rodrigues. He’s calling it Pickleball Kingdom. He opened a 40,000-square-foot facility in Chandler that offers 15 indoor pickleball courts.

Rodrigues said the ideal franchisee is someone with a high-level of business experience who is looking for a multi-unit deal. They don’t have to have owned a franchise in the past. He says interest is high and expects to award the first franchises in a month or two.