Pickleball is booming, but one of its fastest-growing franchisors just got dinked. The Picklr has filed for Chapter 11 chapter safety in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Texas, according to Sports Business Journal.
Its founder and CEO, Jorge Barragan, is taking the blame, saying the company agreed to guarantee lease funds for about 40 early franchise places. “We signed, unfortunately, too many corporate guarantees that landed on the holding company, and that’s on us,” he advised SBJ. “I own it.”
Founded in 2021, The Picklr started franchising two years later and now has more than 70 U.S. places plus golf equipment in Australia, Canada and Japan. It posted a $4.4 million web loss on $10.3 million in income in 2025 and had about $19 million in whole liabilities as of March, according to SBJ.
An investor group led by franchisee Tom Neale has dedicated $4.5 million in financing, pending court approval, according to the company. (SBJ places it at $4.8 million.) Clubs stay open, and Barragan says the Picklr chapter submitting won’t instantly close any places, though he expects some downsizing.
Pickleball is booming, but one of its fastest-growing franchisors just got dinked. The Picklr has filed for Chapter 11 chapter safety in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Texas, according to Sports Business Journal.
Its founder and CEO, Jorge Barragan, is taking the blame, saying the company agreed to guarantee lease funds for about 40 early franchise places. “We signed, unfortunately, too many corporate guarantees that landed on the holding company, and that’s on us,” he advised SBJ. “I own it.”
Founded in 2021, The Picklr started franchising two years later and now has more than 70 U.S. places plus golf equipment in Australia, Canada and Japan. It posted a $4.4 million web loss on $10.3 million in income in 2025 and had about $19 million in whole liabilities as of March, according to SBJ.
An investor group led by franchisee Tom Neale has dedicated $4.5 million in financing, pending court approval, according to the company. (SBJ places it at $4.8 million.) Clubs stay open, and Barragan says the Picklr chapter submitting won’t instantly close any places, though he expects some downsizing.