This Popular Pickleball Franchisor Filed for Bankruptcy. Its Founder Says, ‘I Own It’

Pickleball is booming, but one of its fastest-growing franchisors just got dinked. The Picklr has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection 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 payments for about 40 early franchise locations. “We signed, unfortunately, too many corporate guarantees that landed on the holding company, and that’s on us,” he told SBJ. “I own it.”

Founded in 2021, The Picklr began franchising two years later and now has more than 70 U.S. locations plus clubs in Australia, Canada and Japan. It posted a $4.4 million net loss on $10.3 million in revenue in 2025 and had about $19 million in total liabilities as of March, according to SBJ.

An investor group led by franchisee Tom Neale has committed $4.5 million in financing, pending court approval, according to the company. (SBJ puts it at $4.8 million.) Clubs remain open, and Barragan says the Picklr bankruptcy filing won’t directly close any locations, 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 bankruptcy protection 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 payments for about 40 early franchise locations. “We signed, unfortunately, too many corporate guarantees that landed on the holding company, and that’s on us,” he told SBJ. “I own it.”

Founded in 2021, The Picklr began franchising two years later and now has more than 70 U.S. locations plus clubs in Australia, Canada and Japan. It posted a $4.4 million net loss on $10.3 million in revenue in 2025 and had about $19 million in total liabilities as of March, according to SBJ.

An investor group led by franchisee Tom Neale has committed $4.5 million in financing, pending court approval, according to the company. (SBJ puts it at $4.8 million.) Clubs remain open, and Barragan says the Picklr bankruptcy filing won’t directly close any locations, though he expects some downsizing.