When is a health club more than a health club? When it is committed to giving its members a sense of belonging to a community where it’s easy to make friends — and offering a premium experience at affordable prices.
Connections at Fit Factory are reinforced by shared workouts in individual studios that specialize in activities like indoor rowing, cycling and group fitness, as well as an infrared yoga room with all the props found in free-standing yoga studios. There’s also a separate section for personal training and a women-only workout area.
“We set out to build a health club that actually serves its members,” says Matt Genes, who co-founded Fit Factory in 2015, as opposed to fitting into the “commodity shape of the health club industry as it is today.”
The first location opened in Braintree, Mass., in February 2015. Currently, there are four in Massachusetts, with three under construction near Dallas and five more planned over the next 18 months in Massachusetts.
Genes says the company surveys the community and employees before opening a new club or renovating an existing one. New clubs are larger than the original 26,000-square-foot location, averaging about 35,000 square feet. Each studio is decorated with murals tailored to the featured exercise with variations of the club’s signature colors of vibrant green and white.
“Every health club has machines and weights,” says Genes. “We are very, very good at program-based products, personal training, service and small group classes. Our group classes and studio experiences have become a main niche for us.”
In 2015, Fit Factory saw $1 million in revenue with just one club. With four clubs this year, it’s projecting $8 million. “This is an 800 percent growth in just five years,” Genes says, “and we think we’ll be doing close to $15 million at the end of 2020.” — Liz Parks
Fit Factory
Boston
Co-founder and CEO: Matt Genes; co-founder: Ryan Gadles
Locations: 4