SAME TEAM. NEW VENTURE.
The Ace Pickleball Club management team, advisors, and strategic investors combine hundreds of years of franchise experience.
We’ve played influential roles in the growth of blue-chip brands that have earned countless accolades over the last two decades and range from 300 to 1,000+ franchises.
Most notably and relevant, the Founders and Executive Team were instrumental in the development process and operations of nearly 200 Sky Zone Trampoline Parks, which operate in the same big box retail locations that Ace Pickleball Club is targeting, developing, and operating.
Who Are Our Franchisees?
Experienced Multi-Unit Owners of:
Orangetheory Fitness
Papa Johns
Sky Zone
The Joint Chiropractic
Sola Salon
Hand & Stone Massage
Sport Clips
T-Mobile
Batteries Plus
Goldfish Swim Schools
Crumbl Cookies
Ellie Mental Health
Scooter’s Coffee
Plus Corporate Executives from Disney, Nike, REI, and Sunrun
MEET THE TEAM
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JAY DIEDERICH
Jay is our Founder and CEO of Ace Pickleball Club, LLC. He has 15+ years experience in franchise development, including 10+ leading white space analysis and site selection for Sky Zone Trampoline Parks.
Find Jay on Linkedin -
JOE SEXTON
Joe is our Co-Founder and President of Ace Pickleball Club Franchise, LLC. He has spent 16+ years leading franchise development for blue chip brands like Mathnasium and Sky Zone Trampoline Parks.
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VINCENT BARRIOS
Vince is our Chief Development Officer responsible for leading franchise owners through the development process. He has spent the last 20 years developing hundreds of locations for international brands like Sky Zone, Menchie’s, and Code Ninjas.
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BRIANNE CARTER
Brianne is our Chief Operating Officer. Over the last 10+ years at Sky Zone, she built and implemented training programs to support the opening of 100+ locations, playing an essential role in defining operations, the new park opening process, and team member development.
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DIEGO PACHECO
Diego is our Chief Growth Officer responsible for site selection, real estate development, and market analysis. He has worked in commercial RE acquisitions, development, and asset management for the last 10+ years. For the past 18 months he served as the Growth Director at JLL Technologies. Previously, at CBRE, he focused on leading global big-box acquisition and dispositions for Sky Zone, Rite Aid, Office Depot, and Kroger.
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BRIAN NOBLE
Brian is our VP of Pickleball Experience responsible for the development of all pickleball related programming designed to enhance our member experience. Brian has spent his career working at Accenture, Deloitte, Press Ganey and Korn Ferry focusing on employee engagement and productivity with hundreds of top companies across the US. Brian is passionate about pickleball and is an accomplished high-level player – including a Senior Pro Gold Medal win at the 2022 PPA Texas Open. Over the past 3 years, he has been active in promoting pickleball through large scale introductory festivals, individual and group instruction, and facilitation of high caliber local tournaments.
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ANGELA KORNFIELD
Angela is our Marketing Director responsible for managing cross-channel initiatives, advertising, public relations, experiential activations, and marketing strategy at a national, regional and local level. Angela has spent the last 15 years in the marketing departments of brands such as Lyft and Marriott, and led marketing for the largest Orangetheory Fitness Franchisee across 100+ studios.
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MOOKIE MCDEVITT
Mookie is our VP of Strategic Partnerships. He has spent his career in advertising and emerging marketing technologies developing partnerships with major brands and Fortune 500 companies including Disney, LiveNation, Cisco, and Diageo among many others. He is an avid pickleball player with a vast network in the pickleball community from the grassroots level all the way up to the pro leagues and largest pickleball media companies.
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JASON MENKO
Jason is our Senior Manager of Construction and Engineering responsible for overseeing the franchise construction process. He has spent the last 8+ years in the general contracting industry in various sectors, most recently specializing in sports flooring, and has worked with clients such as Pepsi, Frito Lay, NCAA, and Sky Zone.
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TODD ROWLAND
Todd is our VP of Design responsible for leading the design, physical experience, and innovation of our clubs. Over the past 24 years, Todd has worked closely with the leaders of some of the most well known brands, both nationally and internationally, including Sky Zone, VF Brands, and Luxottica.
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CHLOE JOHN
Chloe is our Learning & Development Leader responsible for developing, innovating, and executing Ace Pickleball Club’s training programs for both franchisees and team members. She has spent the last 6+ years in guest experience and training roles with Disney, Universal, Six Flags, and Sky Zone Trampoline Parks.
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CHARLES BAWDEN
Charlie is our Vice President of Field Operations responsible for field operations and franchisee support. He spent the last 10 years as a key multifaceted player at Sky Zone contributing across multiple departments including training, field operations, consumer insights, and risk management.
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JEFFREY JABBOUR
JJ is our Controller responsible for accounting operations and the financial health of Ace Pickleball Club, in addition to supporting franchisees in these areas. He has spent the last 16+ years in accounting and finance roles, most notably as the Assistant Controller and Senior Accountant at Sky Zone.
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SYDNEE WALKER
Sydnee is our Social Media & Marketing Manager responsible for managing national marketing initiatives as well as supporting franchisees’ local marketing efforts. Sydnee has spent the last 4 years in sports marketing including several years as a Social Media and Digital Marketing Analyst with Turner Sports across its’ NBA, MLB, NHL, and NCAA properties.
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CONOR HAWKS
Conor is our VP of Franchise Growth responsible for selecting qualified franchisees and guiding them through the due diligence process. He has spent 8+ years in franchise development roles, most recently at Mathnasium Learning Centers.
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ALLIE CHAVEZ
Allie is our Franchise Operations Specialist responsible for offering administrative support across operations, training, and marketing. She spent the last 4+ years in operations and guest experience at sporting and corporate event venues.
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NICHOLAS MITCHELL
Nic is our Point of Sale Specialist responsible for training and supporting franchisees with the POS system, as well as continual innovation and updates to create a better experience for Members, Guests, and operations teams. He has a background in Computer Science and Mathematics, and started with Ace Pickleball Club as a Member Specialist in Roswell, GA.
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JOSH COLE
Josh Cole is a partner and marketing advisor to Ace Pickleball Club. He has been the CMO of three fast-growing multi-unit businesses in the experiential entertainment and health and wellness industries, including Sky Zone. Prior to that, he led strategy and execution for all of Universal Studios Hollywood’s digital initiatives.
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GORDON JESPERSON
Gordon is a partner and legal advisor to Ace Pickleball Club. He has over 25 years of experience, including as General Counsel to private and publicly held companies. He utilizes his extensive business experience to works with companies of all sizes to grow, implement best practices and balance legal risk and business opportunity.
PROVEN DEVELOPMENT SYSTEMS.
We know from our experience with big box retail development that the most challenging hurdle to building a successful big box business is simply getting the doors open. Site selection and negotiations on 25K to 50K square foot spaces are truly unique from standard commercial real estate processes. When you factor in proper space planning, permitting, architecture, and construction, it can be an overwhelming process for most. That is why we don’t simply support this process, we lead it.
From day one, we built our systems as if we already have hundreds of locations operating. We’ve successfully built and implemented scalable systems for blue chip franchise brands, and we’ve taken all of our experience and knowledge, both what to do and what not to do, to build what we aim to be amongst the best franchise systems in the world.
We cannot achieve that without selecting the best franchise owners, working with us to not only implement these systems in their local market, but to challenge our thinking in the spirit of innovation.
Pickleball is going to be in a constant state of evolution for the foreseeable future, and together with our franchise owners, we will always strive to remain ahead of the curve.
Our Site Selection Process is Unrivaled
In-House Design Allows for Test Fitting and Smarter Real Estate Negotiations
Experienced Project Management Team Leads Franchisees through Architecture, Permitting, Construction, Procurement, and Court Installation
Seasoned Operations Team Leads Franchisees through Pre-Opening Training, On-Site Training at Franchisees’ Locations, and Ongoing Training and Operations Support
A BRAND FOR THE FUTURE.
The largest group of pickleball players are between the ages of 25 and 34 years old followed closely by the 18-24 age group (SFIA/Pickleheads Report).
You won’t find any pickle puns at Ace Pickleball Club. Not because we take ourselves too seriously, but because we take the people who love pickleball seriously.
We are encouraging, fun-loving, forward-looking, and youthful.
Our youngest Members are teenagers and want to play at a club that is vibrant, energetic, and a match for their youth.
Our oldest Members feel like teenagers when they step on the court, and are drawn to that youthful energy.
No matter one’s age, everyone wants to feel young.
Brand is not all that important if you’re the only indoor pickleball club in town, but as competition increases, it becomes a huge differentiation factor, and there will be winners and losers.
TRAILBLAZING BUSINESS MODEL.
We flipped the traditional tennis/pickleball club model on its head when we introduced our business model to the market. It was challenging to educate the market on exactly what we offer because it is truly different, but that is to be expected when setting a new standard in the marketplace. We are a Membership model designed to create the optimal experience for a small group of pickleball players of all ages and skill levels. Here’s how our model is unique:
One simple Membership option that is all-inclusive of Open Play, Reservations, Tournaments, Clinics, and other Programs & Events. No nickels, no dimes, no friction.
Open Play is front and center, available at all times to all skill levels.
Every decision we make is through the lens of the Member Experience, not on how many nickels we can squeeze out of a mass audience of players.
Here’s what our model means for franchisees:
Simple Operations
Predictable, Recurring Revenue (Irrespective of Weather)
Frictionless Processes
Reduced Marketing Costs
TRAINING AND SUPPORT.
Led by seasoned training and operations experts from Sky Zone, Disney, and Universal.
Developing effective training and support systems for franchise networks takes years of practice, trial, and error. Our team has a collective 40+ years delivering best-in-class franchise training and support. Here’s what to expect:
Online Learning Management Systems
One Week Training in Roswell, GA (~6 Weeks Prior to Your Opening) for You and Your Team
Onsite Training at Your Location in the days leading up to and through your Opening
Ongoing virtual and live training opportunities for franchise owners and their team
Proactive Monthly Support Across All Departments (Marketing, Staffing, Programming, Operations, Technology, P&L)
Reactive Support As Needed
Network Wide Reporting for Measuring Your Club’s Performance
Turnkey Marketing Systems and Support Across All Channels
Research, Development, and Innovation. We are the “Test Kitchen” and systematically roll out successful innovations with proper training and resources for replication in your location.
ESTIMATED INITIAL INVESTMENT + FEES
The total initial investment to open one franchise will range between $910,455 and $1,281,290 inclusive of a $60,000 Franchise Fee. Here are the biggest variables:
Existing Condition of Space. If you need to trench for plumbing, install new HVAC systems, or do other capital intensive work to bring the space up to standards, you will likely be on the higher end of the investment. Other spaces need minimal work and you will find yourself on the lower end of the range.
Landlord Contributions. There are several economic levers that each affect each other in big box real estate negotiation. Some Landlords are willing to write hefty Tenant Improvement Allowance checks to cover some or all of the buildout costs. Some will complete some or all of the work themselves. And others may only provide extended free rent periods and reduced rents. We guide and advise franchisees through these negotiations as we have negotiated deals with all of the major Landlords and REITS across the country, and thus know their tendencies.
Square Footage. More space typically means more work and a higher investment.
Market. Construction costs can vary based on your city and state.
Royalty: 7% of Gross Sales
National Advertising Fund: 1% of Gross Sales
Technology Fee: $650 Monthly
Why we don’t negotiate our fees and “Franchise Sales Red Flags.”
NEXT STEPS
We could go on and on about our tech stack, unique partnerships strategy, and vision for the future, but…
HERE’S THE TRUTH:
Franchise systems are only as good as the people behind it, and that includes our stellar network of franchisees that also own and operate franchise brands like Orangetheory Fitness, Hand & Stone Massage, T-Mobile, Goldfish Swim Schools, Papa Johns, Sport Clips, and many more.
Get to know us. It’s the only way to find out if we’re really pros, or just a 3.5 masquerading as a 5.0+.
This website and the franchise sales information within do not constitute an offer to sell a franchise. The offer of a franchise can only be made through the delivery of a franchise disclosure document. Certain states require that we register the franchise disclosure document in those states. The communications within this website are not directed by us to the residents of any of those states. Moreover, we will not offer or sell franchises in those states until we have registered the franchise, or obtained an applicable exemption from registration, and delivered the franchise disclosure document to the prospective franchisee in compliance with applicable law.