Utah pickleball company to expand worldwide with 20 Japan locations

SALT LAKE CITY — The Picklr, a Utah-based indoor pickleball facility franchise, is expanding worldwide, specifically in Asia.

If you thought pickleball was just a Utah craze taking over courts and people’s hearts, you’d be wrong. According to the Sports and Fitness Industry Association, it’s the fastest-growing sport in America for the third year in a row.

Pickleball began on Bainbridge Island, Washington in 1965, per USA Pickleball. Joel Pritchard, a congressman from Washington, and Bill Bell, a businessman, were looking to play on an old badminton court. However, a full set of equipment wasn’t available, so they improvised by playing with a plastic ball and ping-pong paddles. The website said they initially hit the ball over a badminton-height net, which is set to about 60 inches high. 

The rest of the world is also picking up on the trend.

“We’ve seen pickleball expand quickly in Canada, Australia, (and) the UK. But nowhere is growing as fast as the Asian countries,” said Austin Wood, co-founder and chief visionary officer at The Picklr. 

Rapid expansion is one reason why The Picklr is expanding to Japan. 

The Picklr expands to Asia

The Picklr is an indoor pickleball facility with outdoor surfacing. It offers unlimited play, clinics, leagues, tournaments, and more.

It first opened in 2021 with one facility in the small town of Uintah, which is nestled between South Ogden and Layton.

Just four years later, the company has 44 locations currently open in the U.S. 

Over the next five years, 20 Japanese franchise locations are planned to open. 

“Japan was definitely a first spot for us to start,” Wood said. “We found a great group out there that understands how to expand and grow businesses in Japan, and knows the culture and the pickleball community out there. So we teamed up with them and they’re gonna be opening up 20 locations in Japan over the next handful of years,” Wood said. 

Countries across the Asian continent are booming with pickleball growth. Japan is hosting a professional pickleball association tournament in August. 

The main reason The Picklr leadership team chose Japan as their first Asian expansion location is because of its available, appealing real estate.

“Indoor pickleball facilities for The Pickler has a lot to do with real estate … It was making sure—does indoor pickleball really fit the real estate market of these areas?” Wood said. “If we expand into a country that doesn’t really have the real estate options to put a 5 to 10 court facility in, then it makes it very difficult for The Pickler to actually get open and (for) people to start playing. So Japan was a great first step for us into that market.”

They are already working with groups to expand The Picklr franchise to other Asian nations. 

Other international expansion

The first international Picklr location is set to open in Canada later this year. The Picklr has sold over 500 franchise locations worldwide and 80-90 locations are planned to open by the end of 2025. 

“Our first location in Canada should be open in Q3 or early Q4 this year, and we’re hoping to close a few more countries before the end of the year,” Wood said. 

Franchises in Japan, Australia, and New Zealand are expected to open early in 2026.

“We’re all about bringing people together and improving people’s physical, mental, and social health through community … Also giving a place for people to have a lot of fond memories and a place to compete as you get older in life,” Wood explained. “That’s why we love pickleball as it allows people from eight years old to 80 years old to still fill a place where they can compete and improve and get better.”

Are you a pickleball fan? Read more here: Dickson: Preventing pickleball injuries