After dedicating nearly two decades to a sales career that required extensive overnight travel, Josette Rosene left her job to be home with her husband and their three children. Initially, the change of pace was challenging for Rosene, who was used to being busy all of the time, so when she came across a Jabz Boxing trial offer, she rounded up several friends and attended her first Jabz Boxing class. By Cindy Charette
Jabz Boxing studios across the country opened their doors for a week in October to host donation-based classes in partnership with Bright Pink to raise funds to promote breast and ovarian health awareness. By Cindy Charette
Ashley Mol was always passionate about health and fitness. Active in several sports in high school, she played Division I soccer in college and studied fitness and health promotion before parlaying her education and experience into a career. By Jessica Jones
Leading Fitness Franchise continues to Expand Following a Strong Increase in Demand throughout the Pandemic.
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Today, Retro Fitness, a leader in the high-value, low price fitness space, announced a prominent investment from Boston-based venture capital firm, Arena Capital Partners. The partnership supports the high demand for the fitness franchise to expand and develop health clubs throughout the greater Boston market, with plans to initially open 10-12 locations.
Over the next year, the expansion across Boston is slated to create hundreds of jobs for the local community with the ability to service over 40,000 members, elevating the focus on health and wellness starting in Middlesex and Essex counties.
With exercise, health and overall fitness top of mind across the country, Retro Fitness saw a spike in franchise sales amid the pandemic. Over the past several months, Retro Fitness franchise sales have spiked significantly with a 300% increase from single to multi-unit ownership among existing franchisees, and a 200% increase in sales of new fitness locations. This was a direct result of its new leadership team that brings a new strategic vision and expertise to Retro Fitness’ highly profitable franchise model. Amplifying their growth, this multi-million dollar investment from Arena Capital will introduce the franchise to new territories in Boston.
“We’re thrilled to be able to expand Retro Fitness into the greater Boston area, delivering a world class member experience. The pandemic highlighted the immediate need for people to get fit and healthy. Exercise is medicine and health clubs are now really seen as an extension of healthcare as people need to get healthier,” said Andrew Alfano, CEO of Retro Fitness. “We owe our continued growth to the commitment and experience of our new executive leadership team, independent franchisees, and investors including Arena Capital Partners, as we help to increase the awareness of exercise, health and fitness in the greater Boston market.”
The investment from Arena Capital is one of the many steps Retro Fitness is taking to strategically meet and exceed their growth demands. Retro Fitness is continuing to identify new and emerging markets across the US, giving investors and area developers an opportunity to join an organization poised for growth and continuing to shatter consumer expectations in the fitness and wellness industry.
“We understand that this is a pivotal growth moment for the fitness industry and we’re excited to invest in an organization that’s providing unmatched opportunity for investors,” says Ryan Debin, Managing Partner at Arena Capital Partners. “We are dedicated to seeking new real estate ventures and franchises that focus on the overall wellbeing of the surrounding communities and we’re confident that Retro Fitness will bring great service and high-quality fitness to the Boston area.”
About Retro Fitness:
Founded in 2004, Retro Fitness began as a regional gym concept in the Northeast and has evolved into a leading national fitness franchise with more than 140 gyms open or in development across the country. With a new executive leadership team led by former Starbucks Senior Executive Andrew Alfano, Retro Fitness has successfully navigated the pandemic, while not over yet, and is emerging from the crisis healthy. This coming off of the best Q1 in the history of the company prior to shutdown. Throughout their growth and experience, the brand has become skillfully adept in understanding the needs of their franchisees, now providing a full suite of support services including real estate site selection, delivering a turnkey box, offering training and development both on-site and at our support center as well as having all marketing and brand support being done in-house.
For more information on being a Retro Fitness franchisee, please visit http://www.retrofitness.com/franchising.
Debut of Boutique Cycling Brand Down Under Expands Footprint of Parent Company Xponential Fitness to Four Continents.
IRVINE, Calif. — Australia is “gearing up” for an indoor cycling revolution as CycleBar, the largest indoor cycling brand with over 210 studios worldwide, rides into Perth, Western Australia this week. The new studio, located in Currambine, marks the first to open in Australia, expanding the reach of CycleBar’s parent company, boutique fitness curator Xponential Fitness, to four continents and nine countries, which also includes the United States, Canada, Japan, South Korea, Germany, Austria, Singapore and Saudi Arabia.
“Boutique cycling has been one of the hottest fitness trends in America for the past decade, if not longer, and we are excited for CycleBar to be on the forefront of that in Australia,” said John Kersh, Chief International Development Officer for Xponential Fitness. “The country’s strong demographics and vibrant fitness and wellness scene make it the perfect home for our high-energy, community-driven brand and an ideal market for rapid expansion over the next few years.”
Founded in 2004, CycleBar offers a variety of low-impact, high-intensity indoor cycling workouts, which are inclusive of all fitness levels. CycleBar offers a truly immersive, multi-sensory experience in state-of-the-art “CycleTheaters,” led by specially trained instructors known as “CycleStars”, driven by heart-pumping “CycleBeats” playlists, and tracked using rider-specific “CycleStat” performance metrics.
The expansion of CycleBar in Australia is being driven by a Master Franchise Agreement with husband and wife entrepreneurial team Matt and Candice Gordin, along with Matt’s father Bill Gordin from Perth. The Gordins have extensive experience in both the cycling and franchising world, with Matt holding the position of CEO and Candice leading the Finance & Accounting Department for BikeExchange USA, a large marketplace for bicycle products, for close to 6 years. Both have a long history in franchising, with Candice as Operations Manager for Wild Cards & Gifts, a national gift shop franchise, and Matt as Franchisee and General Manager for Bike Force, an Australian bike retailer with 24 franchised locations. Bill Gordin founded Bike Force in 1991 and is also a seasoned competitive cyclist, with a gold medal at the World Masters Championship in 2018.
The agreement with the Gordins will bring at least 45 CycleBar studios to the country over the next several years. Last month, they signed their first official franchise agreement with a local entrepreneur, which will extend CycleBar’s reach to New South Wales with three locations in Sydney.
The opening of CycleBar in Perth continues an impressive year of international growth for the Irvine, CA-headquartered Xponential Fitness, bringing the company’s reach to nine countries. Studios are currently open in the United States, Canada, Japan, South Korea and as of last month, Saudi Arabia, inside the brand new, state-of-the-art EVOX Clubs in Riyadh. Xponential has also signed deals to open studios in Germany, Austria and Singapore in the coming months.
To learn more about CycleBar and its new studio in Perth, visit www.cyclebar.com.au, and to learn more about Xponential Fitness, visit www.xponential.com.
ABOUT XPONENTIAL FITNESS:
Founded in 2017 by Anthony Geisler, Xponential Fitness has built and curated a diversified platform of eight disruptive boutique fitness brands spanning across fitness and wellness verticals – including Pilates, indoor cycling, stretch, rowing, dance, running and yoga. Currently, Xponential Fitness’ portfolio of brands includes Club Pilates, the nation’s largest Pilates brand; CycleBar, the nation’s largest indoor cycling brand; StretchLab, a concept offering one-on-one assisted stretching services and group stretch services; Row House, a high-energy, low-impact indoor rowing workout; AKT, a dance-based cardio workout combining toning, interval and circuit training developed by Celebrity Trainer Anna Kaiser; YogaSix, a modern boutique yoga brand; Pure Barre, a total body workout that uses the ballet barre to perform small isometric movements; and most recently, STRIDE, a treadmill-based cardio and strength training concept. Visit www.xponential.com to learn more.
ABOUT CYCLEBAR:
Founded in 2004, CycleBar is the largest indoor cycling brand by number of studios and offers a variety of low-impact, high-intensity indoor cycling workouts, which are inclusive of all fitness levels. CycleBar offers an immersive, multi-sensory experience in state-of-the-art “CycleTheaters,” led by specially trained instructors, enhanced with high-energy “CycleBeats” playlists and tracked using rider-specific “CycleStat” performance metrics. Head-quartered in Irvine, CA, CycleBar is backed by Xponential Fitness, the largest franchisor of boutique fitness brands in the United States. To learn more about the CycleBar franchise opportunity, visit www.cyclebar.com.
In her early years, Samantha Ford experienced a bout of depression. That was when she discovered how exercise could improve her emotional well-being in addition to her physical health. By joining various fitness centers and taking two to three classes daily, Ford quickly became a fitness enthusiast and advocate. By Cindy Charette
From all appearances, it would seem Emily Barton had always been athletic. But childhood asthma had prevented her from participating in exercise and sports. Her interest in fitness grew out of a desire to reach goals she had long desired to accomplish. By Elice Morgenson
As a busy mom of three, wife, and Jabz Boxing franchisee, Jennifer August knows all about finding a work/life balance. Prior to becoming a Jabz owner, August had dedicated 10 years in law enforcement to the city of Philadelphia, until she and her husband agreed that one of them should be home more for their family. By Cindy Charette
Despite Pandemic, Boutique Fitness Brand Continues to Draw Entrepreneurs in Masses with Transformative Rowing-based Fitness Concept.
IRVINE, Calif. — Since 2014, Row House, the leading boutique rowing-based fitness brand, has encouraged people to “pull together.” Amidst the current pandemic and social unrest that has swept the world, that message could not be more timely and is clearly resonating with entrepreneurs as Row House, which is part of the Xponential Fitness family of brands, announced today it has surpassed 300 signed franchise agreements. With close to 75 studios already open, this new accomplishment falls in line with the brand’s overarching goal to have over 300 locations by 2022.
Recently signed agreements will bring at least one new location to cities such as Omaha, North Haledon and Denver, and three new locations to Phoenix, Jacksonville, and Los Angeles. Notably, several studios are being developed by entrepreneurs who already own franchises within the Xponential Fitness portfolio. Row House in North Haledon is being developed by an existing CycleBar owner, and the three Los Angeles locations will be opened by a Club Pilates owner.
“Community and inclusivity are cornerstones of the Row House brand, and people are craving both now more than ever, due to challenges 2020 has thrown their way,” said Ramon Castillon, President of Row House. “What was once a niche concept is becoming very mainstream, as Row House has been widely adopted by friends, family members and colleagues thanks to the inclusive nature of our programming and culture. We believe this is what is drawing so many incredible entrepreneurs to the concept and could not be more excited to help them bring our transformative workout to their communities and change lives.”
Long recognized by fitness goers as one of the most effective forms of low impact, full-body strength and cardio exercise, Row House is popularizing one of America’s oldest sports in the boutique fitness setting by putting the rower front and center for its classes, delivering unparalleled results. Row House has six class offerings – Signature, Power, Full Row, Restore, Express Signature, and Foundation – which combines rowing intervals with floor exercises to provide variety to this All-in-One workout routine. Utilizing 85 percent of the body’s muscles, rowing-based fitness maximizes calorie burn, activates the core, strengthens and lengthens the body and ultimately improves posture and mobility. Along with being low-impact, the workout is non-weight bearing, allowing people with any pre-existing injuries or weight loss goals to minimize added stress on their bodies and reduce risk of injury. Members from all fitness levels can enjoy all class types, allowing for the perfect workout to be enjoyed with friends, family or colleagues.
To continue their rapid expansion, Row House is actively seeking qualified franchise partners. Headquartered in Irvine, CA, Row House is backed by Xponential Fitness, a curator of leading boutique fitness brands. The Row House franchise opportunity offers potential franchisees the opportunity to capitalize on an emerging fitness market across all 50 states. With a total investment of $276,600 – $499,500. Row House provides a wealth of support, infrastructure and knowledge from the Xponential Fitness team.
For more information about Row House and its franchise opportunity, please visit www.therowhouse.com/franchise.
ABOUT ROW HOUSE:
Founded in 2014, Row House is the largest indoor rowing-based fitness brand, offering incorporated personalized performance metrics, resistance training, rowing and stretching exercises to build aerobic endurance and muscular strength. The low-impact nature of rowing workouts makes Row House accessible to a broad range of consumers with six signature Row House class formats including introductory, interval-based, strength training, stretching and two endurance-based formats. Its high quality instructors are trained through a specialized training program for Authorized Rowing Coaches, known as “RH University.” Head-quartered in Irvine, CA, Row House is backed by Xponential Fitness, the largest franchisor of boutique fitness brands. To learn more about the Row House franchise opportunity, visit www.therowhouse.com.
The $30 billion health and fitness industry in the U.S. has been growing by at least 3% to 4% annually for the last 10 years and shows no sign of slowing down, according to the International Health, Racquet and Sportsclub Association (IHRSA). If anything, the industry’s growth is expected to accelerate. By Rose Mango