Inside the Dill Dinkers’ Playbook
By Carl Foster • July 8, 2026 • 8 min read
From one club to thirty-two
THIS WEEK’S INSIDE WORLD Pickleball feature on People Shaping Pickleball is an interview with Will and Denise Richards. I have had the pleasure of knowing the Richards, co-founders of Dill Dinkers, which now has 32 locations opened and operating successfully across the country.
Will has been a featured speaker, along with Denise, at our CourtReserve World Pickleball Conference events from Las Vegas to Palm Beach for the past four years, sharing their wisdom and knowledge of building one of the most successful pickleball facility franchise brands in the industry.
Will leads as the CEO of Dill Dinkers and is an Air Force veteran with 40 years of management experience. After leaving the Air Force, he embarked on a career at Domino’s Pizza. He rose through the ranks at the company and was part of Domino’s Pizza’s rapid growth throughout the late 80s and early 90s. Will later became an area franchisee with the company. After transitioning away from pizza in 2000, he became involved in IT and logistics, serving in various management roles until finally getting into the world of non-profits and helping people with disabilities find meaningful employment for over 14 years.
Denise serves as COO and has more than ten years of experience as a regional manager in the restaurant and weight loss industries, nearly ten years of experience as a regional trainer, and more than 15 years of experience as a top-selling sales rep for Lifetouch School Photography. As COO, she oversees the company’s day-to-day business operations, develops strategies to improve management practices, and identifies areas of improvement to streamline the organization.
Together, this husband-and-wife team has developed a winning culture built around community in every region where Dill Dinkers operates. Will returns as a featured speaker at our 4th CourtReserve World Pickleball Conference in Las Vegas on July 17, where he’ll share lessons from his years in the U.S. Air Force and as a Domino’s Pizza franchise owner.
Denise brings decades of sales, leadership, and organizational experience to building successful teams, programs, and franchise owners. Together, they received our 2025 DUPR Golden Pickle Business Award.
Let’s meet two true “picklepreneurs” and learn some of the secrets behind Dill Dinkers; remarkable success over the past five years.
Partners in Business, Partners in Pickleball
CARL: Pickleball has brought many husband and wife teams not only on the courts but in the business world. Dill Dinkers has become one of the nation’s most successful indoor pickleball franchise systems as you continue to open new locations.
WILL & DENISE: It was originally Will’s idea after an experience playing at an indoor facility with no heat or restrooms. It took some time to get Denise to buy into the whole pickleball franchise idea!
CARL: Will, you were a USAF military veteran, thanks for your service. You also have a strong franchise learning curve with Domino’s Pizza. Did this experience give you the franchise plan to go forward with Dill Dinkers?
WILL: It was certainly a big help. Both experiences helped develop skills for Dill Dinkers franchise group.
CARL: Denise, you handle the new club openings and operations and how did your business background blend together with Will to start rolling out Dill Dinkers?
DENISE: My sales and organizational experience has helped me to handle now our 32nd Dill Dinkers franchise opening nationwide.
“Operations, organization, and building strong teams are what allow every new Dill Dinkers location to succeed.” — Denise Richards, Co-founder and COO, Dill Dinkers
CARL: What have you both learned from opening your first location to one of your most recent in Henderson, Nevada? What have been some of the biggest mistakes you feel club owners should look out for in this new competitive landscape of indoor facilities?
WILL: The biggest mistake is not properly aligning demographics and facility size. The lease has to match the potential of the demographics.
CARL: Who has been your typical franchise owner of a Dill Dinkers and do you set up regional or territorial exclusivities for new locations? Do you have multiple franchise owners?
WILL: A typical franchise owner is an owner operator or a regional developer. We set up regional territories. We have regional developers with as many as four locations now.
CARL: There are several pickleball facility models out there with heavy eatertainment models like ChickenNPickle with 80% of revenue from food and beverage to combination fitness and pickleball clubs like Lifetime and hybrid models. Where does Dill Dinkers corporate plan sit regarding food and beverage and pro shops?
WILL: We allow food and beverage, but it’s not our core model. We also use Pickleball Central for our pro shops with a strategic partnership.
CARL: How important is community at Dill Dinkers locations regarding memberships versus open play, leagues, tournaments, and corporate outings? Are all locations similar or do the franchisees have options based on demographics?
WILL: A few different options depending on different parts of the country. However, we only allow hybrid models.
“The biggest mistake is not properly aligning the demographics with the size of the facility. The lease has to match the market.” — Will Richards, Co-founder and CEO, Dill Dinkers
CARL: How involved are both of you prior to opening and then once a club is operating? You also have added some top Pickleball Pros like Colin Johns and Martina Kochli as ambassadors and partners. How important has that been in growth?
WILL & DENISE: We are both very involved. I am involved on the real estate and proforma side. Denise is the operations expert. Our brand ambassadors are very important. We intend to add a few more ambassadors as we grow more Dill Dinker franchises.
CARL: We see the global growth of pickleball clubs indoor and outdoor with some other franchise groups opening in India and other countries. The PPA and APP Pro Tours are taking events globally also and what is your vision and plans for worldwide expansion, if any?
WILL: At first, we were planning on a big dive internationally. We had a few potential deals that never happened. Currently, we are hyper-focused on making our franchisees as healthy as possible and do not want to be distracted by international growth. It’s a lot of travel and expense that we feel is better focused here in the states for now.
CARL: Many clubs are now on the market for sale nationwide. What are you learning from Dill Dinkers to assure your franchise owners a way to continue to grow? Is there a time frame when a Dill Dinkers club projects a profit?
WILL: It all started with our concepts of right sizing facilities for the market as well as detailed proformas backed by data from our 32 open clubs. We started our new “flip” program turning independents into Dill Dinkers by waiving $40,000 of our franchise fee.
CARL: Final question. Denise and Will, you have spoken at our WPC events and continue to share your knowledge with new investment groups looking to get into the facility business. You have a great reputation in the industry, and your team concept starts at home, I’m sure. What’s the best thing about working with your spouse and do you still play pickleball together?
WILL & DENISE: We know and trust each other’s skills and work ethics. We always know that we are 100% committed to our standards and vision. Our entire executive team also have the same ethics and are part owners of the company. Denise and I don’t really play that much together but hopefully that will change soon!
Building More Than Pickleball Clubs
Pickleball continues to grow at warp speed, with indoor facilities, clubs, and courts opening around the world to meet the sport’s incredible demand. Dill Dinkers has built a strong culture centered on community, creating clubs that welcome players of all ages and skill levels while giving franchise owners a proven model for long-term success.
Their motto says it best: “We spread the joy of pickleball.”
After spending time with Will and Denise over the years, I can tell you that’s more than a slogan. It’s the culture they’ve built, the standard they live by, and the reason Dill Dinkers continues to thrive as one of the country’s premier indoor pickleball franchise brands.
About Carl Foster
Carl Foster is the Chairman of the World Pickleball Conference and the CEO of Foster Events Group, LLC, where he specializes in the production and management of high-profile sports and entertainment events. With over 50 years of experience in broadcasting, fundraising, and event leadership, he produces Inside WORLD Pickleball and serves as a lead moderator for industry summits. He is a central figure in the professionalization of pickleball, connecting technology experts, organizational leadership, and the player community to elevate the sport’s presence on a global scale.
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