pickleball and sports exclusive
Dill Dinkers Pickleball Partners with Franchise Well to Architect National Growth Strategy
On National Pickleball Day Established Indoor Pickleball Concept Taps into Leading Global Franchise Consulting Firm for Innovative Franchising Launch



COLUMBIA, Md. /PRNewswire/ — There’s a new, hotshot competitor in the pickleball world that’s about to take the nation by storm…
Dill Dinkers, a Maryland-based indoor pickleball concept and the first of its kind in the state, is quickly establishing a strong foothold, setting the stage for rapid franchise growth. In support of the brand’s development efforts, the company announced on National Pickleball Day a strategic partnership with Franchise Well, a leading franchise consulting practice led by reputable industry veteran Dr. Ben Litalien.
As the fastest-growing sport in the country, Dill Dinkers is at the forefront of the pickleball phenomenon.Tweet
As Chief Development Officer, Litalien is setting plans in place to launch Dill Dinkers’ franchise program this fall. “A testament to following a passion, Founders Will and Denise Richard’s appetite for playing pickleball that has equipped them with the aptitude to open an indoor facility is inspiring,” said Litalien. “And now, the opportunity to bring Dill Dinkers to communities across the country through a regional developer franchise offer is an exciting step in the journey.”
Since opening the original Dill Dinkers Pickleball Club last November in the Richard’s neighborhood of Columbia, Maryland, the site is now in the process of expanding to 12 courts. Alongside its flagship location, the brand has successfully opened two more Dill Dinkers Pickleball Clubs in Maryland and the fourth is anticipated to open in Rockville in the next few weeks. Most recently, the brand signed a lease for the Manassas Mall in Virginia which will be the first dedicated indoor pickleball facility in Prince William County.
“We started Dill Dinkers because of our unwavering passion for the sport and the community it has provided us. Now, through Franchise Well, Dr. Litalien is offering us unparalleled franchising experience, giving us the confidence to craft an effective growth strategy for Dill Dinkers,” said Co-Founder and CEO Will Richards, alongside his wife Denise, Co-Founder, and COO and brings his own franchise owner-operator experience to the table as a former Domino’s multi-unit franchisee. “It was crucial for us to ensure both owner-operators and investors could succeed, and we’ve developed an innovative approach to achieve that by offering both single-unit and regional developer growth paths. We are thrilled to be launching our franchise program in the coming weeks as we already have a long list of interested parties.”
As the fastest-growing sport in the country, Dill Dinkers is at the forefront of the pickleball phenomenon with its dedicated indoor facilities that allow players to enjoy year-round play. With a dedicated fanbase of pickleball players spanning all skill levels and coming from different parts of the country, Dill Dinkers aims to attract single and multi-unit franchise operators who are eager to capitalize on the pickleball craze by providing early entry to an ideal indoor offer.
“The world has gone crazy for pickleball, and the demand for an indoor experience is overwhelming,” said Litalien. “Dill Dinkers has perfected its model to deliver an unbeatable environment—it’s climate-controlled, structured play at an affordable price. Being able to extend the success of the Dill Dinkers brand into a world-class franchise offering is a great honor. So many franchise concepts that come to market are simply ‘cookie cutter’ replicas of other franchises. It was essential to develop a franchise strategy befitting of the great concept Will and Denise have created.”
Dill Dinkers Pickleball Clubs will operate in 15,000 square feet or more of indoor space, to provide space for six to 12 courts. The primary focus is on ensuring the functionality of the facilities by administering safety during play to achieve a seamless player experience. To accomplish this, each facility will have a dedicated Director of Pickleball responsible for providing training, instruction, and organizing tournaments, leagues, and special events. Delivering a quality professional experience, the brand boasts its special partnership with Joola, a leading manufacturer in paddle sports, equipping each facility with top-notch Joola nets, paddles and other high-quality products to enhance the overall player experience. “We are truly excited to be partnering with Dill Dinkers to support their national franchise expansion,” said Richard Lee, CEO of Joola, “Will and Denise have created an exceptional club concept dedicated to passionate pickleball players.”
Besides the single Dill Dinkers Pickleball Club franchise offer, the company will offer territories for development featuring nine revenue streams, a robust operating system, a proprietary reporting and management platform that is mobile-enabled, an intensive training system, and a turnkey marketing program for grand opening and membership development. Regional Developers must open and operate a flagship location in their territory, but can meet their development schedule by opening more units with independent franchisees opening in their territory. The company will compensate regional developers for soliciting qualified franchisees and for providing ongoing support for all the clubs in the territory. “The regional developer model is ideal for entrepreneurs that want to rapidly build the Dill Dinkers brand in a market, without the usual capital required by the area developer model,” said Litalien.
While spearheading the franchise development efforts, Franchise Well is working alongside other Dill Dinkers strategic partners including All Points Public Relations, the Strategic Factory, Joola, Morrow Hill Commercial Real Estate and Court Reserve.
For more information about Dill Dinkers, visit www.dilldinkers.com.
About Dill Dinkers Pickleball
Dill Dinkers Pickleball is the leading provider of dedicated indoor pickleball facilities on the east coast. With the announcement of their fifth facility, Dill Dinkers will offer 50 dedicated indoor pickleball courts in the DMV by early 2024. The Dill Dinkers brand is known for its fun, friendly, and welcoming environment where players of all ages and skill levels can play, socialize, and improve their skills. Each facility offers dedicated indoor courts with fences and outdoor surfaces, event space, a ball machine, and a state-of-the-art reservation system powered by Court Reserve. Dill Dinkers offers court reservations for members and visitors. They also offer clinics, private and semi-private lessons, leagues, business advertising, and rental for private events.
About Franchise Well
Franchise Well is a boutique consulting practice in strategic franchise development working with select clients with concepts that can benefit from effective use of using the franchise model. Led by Dr Ben Litalien, a certified franchise executive who also teaches franchising at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. and the Liniger Center on Franchising at the University of Denver. For more information on Franchise Well visit their website at www.franchisewell.com or contact [email protected].
SOURCE Dill Dinkers
outdoor activities
Southworth Announces New Brand Identity and Enhancements Across Global Portfolio of Award-Winning Private Club Communities
A new era for the family-owned real estate developer and operator is ushered in with a five-year reinvestment of $475M to club enhancements, new programming and leadership appointments
BOSTON /PRNewswire/ — Today, Southworth Development announces an updated look and name as the 32-year-old company embarks on a new chapter in its mission to redefine the private club category. Now rebranded as simply “Southworth,” the family-owned company has evolved beyond being a developer, shifting its focus to being a trusted curator of an elevated lifestyle whose portfolio of inclusive clubs offers authentic community and connection – for a life well-lived. This rebranding also brings about $475M worth of reinvestments over the next five years into the majority of Southworth’s current global portfolio. Updates are already underway or completed at several clubs and these reinvestments include nearly $75M in new amenities added across the portfolio over the next five years and another estimated $400M in residential development. The reimagining of Southworth comes as the next generation of family leadership, President Tommy Southworth and Managing Principal, Matt Deitch, have appointed talented new Executive Leadership to execute on their bold vision of developing decidedly different, leading-edge private club communities for a new generation.
The repositioning of the company and reinvestments into its existing clubs comes as the industry reaches a tipping point from post-pandemic consumer demands. Private, luxury, highly amenitized and heavily programmed communities focused on the family are in demand now more than ever. Southworth benchmarked the luxury hospitality industry to strategize the changes required to meet the demands of current and future generations of club members and residents. Additionally, a deep dive into the club space and extensive surveying of Southworth members shined a light on the most important elements of community – human connection and happiness. With this data top of mind, Matt and Tommy saw a clear opportunity to reposition the company and the unparalleled value it offers to those seeking an evolved private club lifestyle that better aligns with the tastes and values of current and future generations.
Childhood friends, Matt and Tommy ‘grew up’ in the business, witnessing their fathers run the company for many years. After spending the first ten years of their respective careers in management consulting, investment banking, and private equity, Matt and Tommy returned to the business in 2019, and in 2023 are ready to roll out their new vision for Southworth. They’ll do so alongside an Executive Leadership team which they’ve been developing over the past few years. New leadership appointments include Todd Grotstein, Chief Sales Officer; Lisa Hultquist, Chief Marketing Officer; Kelly Meredith, Chief People Officer; Troy Miller, Chief Development Officer; and Bill Chrysler, VP of Operations.
In addition to these Executive Leadership appointments, several critical roles have been created that speak to the updated positioning and ethos of the brand. Eleanor Brown has been brought on board as the Director of Sustainability, overseeing sustainability initiatives for the entirety of Southworth. Furthermore, James Dunn has the role of Director of Member Experience which focuses on the “experience-first” mentality of Southworth, always exceeding expectations with unique member programming, activations and amenities, in addition to increased cross-club events – driving home the unique benefit of reciprocity across the Southworth portfolio.
An important element of the new direction is a harkening back to the Company’s roots. Beginning in 1991, Southworth communities challenged the status quo of the restrictive private club category and instead laid foundational principles of inclusion, community, family and fun. Recently, Southworth has rededicated to an overarching brand promise of “The Southworth Way,” the cultural underpinning of their comfortable, unpretentious club communities. Unique in the private club world, what started out as a member and employee code of conduct – fostering positive relationships, encouraging togetherness, and allowing each member and employee to feel welcomed, recognized, and valued – has evolved into a strategic approach to curating the world’s most connected club communities. It’s a guiding star of how Southworth creates exceptional experiences for all members.
In addition to The Southworth Way, the Company has committed to four overarching brand pillars to guide its strategy: Be & Belong: Fostering true community and genuine belonging; Your World at Play: Delivering extraordinary experiences, every day; Life at Ease: Providing a welcome respite in a chaotic world and Inspired Environments: Celebrating the authentic character of each community’s setting.
“We develop, own, operate and call these communities home, which means we’re here for the long term and that is a key differentiator of our company. We don’t build and run, but we continue to operate, improve and enhance our clubs, giving our members and residents confidence in the Southworth brand,” said Tommy Southworth, President of Southworth. “We are obsessively intentional about creating fulfilling private club communities, built on the bedrock of human connection. I believe this difference can truly be seen and felt by our members and the larger industry as we enter this new chapter.”
With this evolution of the Southworth legacy comes a robust lineup of enhancements across its global portfolio of award-winning communities as well as refreshed branding, websites and collateral across all clubs this year.
Club Community Enhancements Include:
- The Abaco Club on Great Abaco Island, The Bahamas: Over the next two years, members will see enhancements such as the addition of the Winding Bay Beach Club; renovations to The Cliff House & Tip-Top; three new activations where guests can gather for anything from beachside drinks with a view to sunrise yoga; and a dedicated amenities corridor with more pickleball courts and even a new putting course designed by Abaco resident and Open Champion Darren Clarke. In addition to all of this, the newest and most exciting neighborhood, The Cays at The Abaco Club, designed by AvroKO, will open phase one in Summer 2024. Additional phases of amenity and real estate development are soon to be announced.
- Creighton Farms in Aldie, Virginia: New member amenities include three new pickleball courts; an enhanced tennis experience; The Paddock, an on-course F&B experience; major renovations to the clubhouse and dining facilities; and the completion of The Stable, a state-of-the-art indoor/outdoor golf training center equipped with the latest in shot tracking and swing analysis technology.
- Renaissance in Haverhill on Boston’s North Shore: A new “19th hole” restaurant and bar named “The Boot” opened this summer, drawing inspiration from the great pubs of Scotland and Ireland, and paying homage to the rich shoe manufacturing history of Haverhill. The Boot is also equipped with two Full Swing Golf Simulators. Additionally, significant investments are being made on the golf course, highlighting its Golden Age inspiration, walkability, and architectural significance.
- Willowbend in Mashpee, Cape Cod: This summer four new pickleball courts as well as several enhancements to existing amenities opened, including new pool cabanas, a new sun deck, a new Zen Garden, a renovated kids’ camp area, and several new social events such as concerts, themed kids programming and monthly spa-inspired events. Near-term projects will include renovations to various member spaces including outdoor bars, locker rooms, and Café Amici, Willowbend’s poolside cafe.
- Machrihanish Dunes in Argyll, Scotland: The award-winning club just launched a new exclusive private club experience, by invitation only. Additional developments are in the permitting phase.
Looking to the future, the newly positioned Southworth will continue to invest heavily in the current portfolio and has a strong pipeline of new development opportunities. Currently, the brand is exploring both domestic and international opportunities in the Southeastern United States, the Caribbean and beyond.
To learn more about the newly rebranded Southworth and its current portfolio of award-winning private club communities, please visit the new website located at SouthworthClubs.com.
About Southworth
Southworth is a privately held lifestyle company specializing in the development and management of private clubs and highly amenitized and programmed residential communities. Founded to challenge the industry status quo in 1991, Southworth recognized an opportunity to think beyond the restrictive private clubs of the day. Today, many national and international club communities later, the Southworth legacy continues to evolve. With a newfound commitment to forward-looking culture and values, and with the next generation of family leadership firmly in place, Southworth has reintroduced itself as the trusted curator of an elevated lifestyle whose inclusive clubs offer one-of-a-kind community and connections for a life well-lived. Located in Boston, Massachusetts, Southworth currently owns and operates private clubs and residential communities across North America, the Caribbean and Europe. These award-winning properties include: Willowbend on Cape Cod, Mass.; Renaissance on Boston’s North Shore; Meredith Bay on New Hampshire’s famed Lake Winnipesaukee; Creighton Farms in Aldie, Va. 35 minutes west of Washington, DC; The Village at Machrihanish Dunes in Argyll, Scotland; and The Abaco Club, located on Great Abaco Island in The Bahamas. For more information, visit SouthworthClubs.com.
SOURCE Southworth
Beverages
REIGN Storm Announced as Official Energy Drink of the Association of Pickleball Players (APP)
One-of-a-Kind Energy Beverage to Fuel World-Class Athletes
LOS ANGELES /PRNewswire/ — REIGN Storm, the leading zero-sugar performance energy drink, unveiled today their official partnership with the Association of Pickleball Players (APP Tour), the first and only tour officially sanctioned by USA Pickleball.
The partnership between REIGN Storm and APP is set to finalize just in time for this weekend’s Atlanta Open, held at Spalding County Pickleball Complex.






“We’re excited to welcome REIGN Storm to the APP Family as our Official Energy Drink partner,” said Ryan McSpadden, APP Chief Revenue Officer. “Pickleball is a sport that truly brings the energy, and APP Tour events showcase that energy to the fullest – making REIGN Storm the perfect partner for our tour.”
REIGN Storm is a ZERO SUGAR, low calorie energy drink designed to give those with active lifestyles a guilt-free ‘better me’ energy surge. Offered in a 12oz slim line can, REIGN Storm is packed with a plant-based energy blend that helps accelerate metabolism while providing immunity support.
“The REIGN family is incredibly excited to be partnering up with the APP Tour,” added Dan McHugh, REIGN Storm Chief Marketing Officer. “This partnership will allow for new avenues to be created in fueling the best athletes in the world. REIGN Storm is dedicated to enabling all athletes to consistently be at their best.”
About REIGN Storm
REIGN Storm contains ZERO sugar, just 10 calories, 200mg of plant-based caffeine is packed with B vitamins, Biotin and an immunity support blend containing Zinc, Vitamin A and C. Available in four amazing flavors: Valencia Orange, Kiwi Blend, Peach Nectarine, and Harvest Grape. No added preservatives, no artificially sourced flavors or colors, and no high fructose corn syrup. Harness the power of great tasting clean energy and help take the world by storm. Visit your local retailer to try one today and make sure to follow on Instagram @reignbodyfuel … REIGN Storm is available in the US, Canada, Caribbean, Brazil, Chile, UK, and a number of European countries; ingredients and flavors featured in the above description vary for countries outside of the US. Please visit www.ReignBodyFuel.com for more information
About APP Pickleball Tour
Founded in 2019, the Association of Pickleball Players (APP) serves professionals, senior professionals and amateurs in the fastest growing sport in the USA. The first and only tour officially sanctioned by USA Pickleball, the 2023 APP Tour slate has 16 announced tournament stops, in addition to International and Collegiate Series events. The APP also prides itself on developing the next generation of pickleball champions through its Next Gen Series and other youth initiatives. To stay updated on the APP, visit theapp.global and follow us on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, Facebook and LinkedIn.
SOURCE Reign Storm
Daily News
Protein-Packed Snacks Hit the Pickleball Scene: Fueling Players for the Biggest Amateur Tour in the World
Chomps and World Pickleball Tour join forces to offer protein snacks and elevate the pickleball experience.
The World Pickleball Tour (WPT), the largest amateur pickleball series in the world, has announced an exciting new partnership with Chomps, the fastest-growing meat snack brand. Chomps, known for its high-quality, sustainably sourced protein snacks, will serve as the official snack partner for the WPT’s upcoming tournaments. This collaboration aims to enhance the experience of players and spectators while providing them with nutritious and delicious snack options.



Elevating the Pickleball Experience:
With a shared commitment to delivering exceptional experiences, the WPT and Chomps are dedicated to putting the needs of players and spectators first. Chomps offers a range of mouthwatering flavors made from real ingredients and without any added sugar. Their meat sticks are crafted from grass-fed and finished beef and venison, as well as antibiotic-free turkey. By providing these nutritious snacks, the partnership aims to support the energy and performance of participants throughout the WPT events.
Exciting Offerings:
As the official snack partner, Chomps will bring a multitude of offerings to the WPT tournaments. These include sampling sessions, giveaways, on-site activations, and various branded experiences. Moreover, Chomps will be the official golden ticket sponsor, with gold medalists proudly displaying the golden ticket at the medal podium during each division of the tournament. This collaboration promises to add an extra layer of excitement and engagement to the already thrilling world of pickleball.
Enthusiasm from Both Parties:
Corey Poches, head of partnerships for the WPT, expresses his excitement about the unique collaboration, confident that it will benefit both Chomps and the players. Meanwhile, Chomps CEO & Co-Founder, Pete Maldonado, emphasizes the brand’s mission to provide clean protein that consumers can trust. Partnering with the WPT allows Chomps to fulfill its purpose by giving players the energy they need to compete at their best.
About the World Pickleball Tour:
The WPT is renowned for its player-centric approach, constantly striving to elevate the pickleball experience. As the world’s largest amateur pickleball series, the WPT organizes events across the country, offering opportunities for players to showcase their skills. Additionally, the WPT provides camps, clinics, luxury sports tourism options, and charity activations, further fostering player communities and enhancing user experiences. https://www.wptevents.com/
About Chomps:
Chomps is the fastest-growing natural meat snack brand, recognized in both the Natural and Conventional retail channels. Their products are crafted from sustainably sourced proteins, ensuring the highest quality. Chomps meat sticks are free from added sugar, soy, dairy, artificial preservatives or colors, MSG, fillers, binders, or artificial nitrates or nitrites. The brand holds certifications such as Whole30 Approved, Certified Gluten-Free, Certified Paleo, Keto Certified, Non-GMO Project Verified, and Allergy-Friendly. https://chomps.com/
The partnership between the World Pickleball Tour and Chomps marks an exciting moment for the pickleball community. With Chomps as the official snack partner, players and spectators can enjoy nutritious and flavorful protein snacks throughout the tournaments. This collaboration not only enhances the overall pickleball experience but also aligns with the shared values of both organizations – to prioritize the well-being and satisfaction of their audience.
SOURCE World Pickleball Tour
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