KidStrong Targets Utah for Growth as Demand From Young Families Continues to Rise

KidStrong, the science-based child development franchise helping kids grow stronger and more confident, character and strength, is targeting Utah for franchise development. With one location currently open in South Jordan, the rest of the state is largely untapped. 

“Utah really lines up with who we serve,” said Josh Patrick, senior vice president of franchise development. “You have a large and growing base of young families, and that creates steady demand for a program like KidStrong.”

Utah is the youngest state in the country, with a median age of 32.4 years. Not only that, but Utah leads the country in birth rates. These population trends closely align with KidStrong’s core customer base: families with young children.

Much of the whitespace is concentrated along the Wasatch Front, where cities like Salt Lake City, Provo and surrounding communities form a dense and connected corridor. Utah County alone added nearly 16,000 new residents in 2025, more than any other county in the state.

​That setup enables more efficient expansion and a stronger market presence for KidStrong. 

“The Wasatch Front gives operators the ability to grow in a connected way,” Patrick said. “You can open in one community and build into the next, which makes it a strong market for multi-unit development.”

That proximity makes it easier to build brand awareness and operate multiple locations within a single region.

How KidStrong Fills a Need in the Market

While the population continues to grow, access to structured, high-quality youth programming has not kept pace in many of these areas. Families are looking for options that go beyond traditional activities, especially those that combine physical and cognitive development.

“In a lot of these communities, families are already looking for something like KidStrong,” Patrick said. “There just aren’t enough options yet, which gives early operators a real opportunity to establish themselves.”

KidStrong’s model is built around weekly, coach-led classes that focus on strength, confidence and overall development. Families attend on a recurring basis, which creates consistency for both the child and the business while building long-term engagement.

That combination of a structured curriculum and a recurring membership model helps locations build a reliable base of families early on.

Whitespace and Growth Markets

KidStrong franchise owner Dani Pointer was among the first to recognize the opportunity in Utah. With a background in accounting, business management and sales, she recognized that Utah County was the fastest-growing county in the state. She also saw that KidStrong had just one location in Utah and decided to act on it. 

She is now part of only the second group of franchise owners to bring KidStrong to the state, backed by a business partner who has opened multiple KidStrong locations and other franchise concepts across several markets. 

"There's a great playbook at KidStrong,” she said. “They have such a strong program, great research and a great team at HQ. Not having to start from the ground up is amazing." 

With only one location currently operating, there is still significant room to expand across key markets such as Salt Lake City, Bountiful, Layton and South Ogden. Each new location serves as a local hub for families while helping establish the brand across the region.

Why Now Is the Time to Invest

Entering a market at this stage allows operators to secure strong territories and build early momentum as demand continues to grow.

“Markets like Utah don’t stay open for long,” Patrick said. “There’s still room right now, and the operators who move early have a chance to build a strong presence as the market continues to develop.”

With strong fundamentals already in place, Utah is positioned to play a meaningful role in the brand’s next phase of growth.

To find out more information on costs to buy this franchise, please visit https://1851franchise.com/kidstrong.