The Pitch: Orangetheory Fitness is quite simply the best one-hour workout in the country – members see amazing results because our scientifically based workout allows them to burn 500-plus calories per session, and they continue burning for 36 hours post-workout.
Years in business: Opened September 2016
Employees: 11
Cost to obtain franchise: $424,500-$980,800 initial investment, $49,500 franchise fee
Before opening franchise: Wagnon has owned and operated a series of larger, traditional gyms in the Midwest for a number of years.
Reason for opening: A veteran in the fitness business, Wagnon decided to open Orangetheory after realizing all that smaller studio businesses have to offer, from the price and convenience to the quality and style of the workouts.
“I really wanted to partner with a company that was engaged in high-intensity interval training because of the results and variety of the workouts.”
“All members wear heart rate monitors during the class, with real-time results displayed on screens throughout the studio. Our dedicated coaches monitor each member’s performance to ensure maximum benefit. After class, each member receives an email detailing their calories burned and minutes spent in the target-training zone.”
“At a regular gym, people come in and stare at a sea of equipment, not knowing where to start. At Orangetheory, we offer a prescribed one-hour fitness class with an instructor there to guide you through a safe workout that guarantees results. You’ll never get the same workout twice, which alleviates the boredom and fatigue factor associated with running or lifting weights every day. One day we might do endurance, then strength the next, then power or a combination of those things.”
“A customer once told me that this is the Nordstrom of gyms.”
“Orangetheory is a proven model – what keeps me motivated are the results. This truly changes people’s lives in a tangible way.”
“For about one-third of the workout, we want people to be in the orange or red zone of their maximum heart rate – about 84 percent or higher for 12-20 minutes of the workout. The science – called excess post-exercise oxygen consumption, or afterburn – ensures that you burn calories for up to 36 hours after the workout.”
