1851

<a href="http://linkedin.com/in/petertaunton?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=nautical-bowls-ceos-passion-for-wellness-paved-his-path-to-success-2726172" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Peter Taunton</a>, CEO and co-founder of&nbsp;<a href="https://nauticalbowls.com/franchise/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=nautical-bowls-ceos-passion-for-wellness-paved-his-path-to-success-2726172" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Nautical Bowls</a>, the fast-casual açai bowl franchise with 66 locations across the country, has always had a passion for business ownership and a passion for wellness. That's why, after successfully franchising his fitness club concept, he decided to turn his attention to healthy eating options in 2020 with&nbsp;<a href="https://1851franchise.com/nautical-bowls-franchise-costs-fees-profit-and-data-2725528#stories">Nautical Bowls</a>.Taunton got his start by running a small health club, turning it around and taking the opportunity to gain equity in the business, before opening more and more clubs. Before long, he sold all of them and opened a new small fitness concept. He immediately realized that he had something special on his hands.“I was absolutely shocked how well the consumer embraced the concept and it didn't take long … they loved the product,” Taunton said. “It was certainly scalable. And I said, ‘Look, I'm going to create a franchise,’ and I did it with zero franchise [experience], but I had a lot of business experience. I think a lot of people don't give themselves credit, but common sense goes a long way.”Taunton attributes some of his success with the fitness concept to the innovative idea of offering health club memberships without contracts. This was a groundbreaking concept 25 years ago, but the wellness industry is evolving quickly. Taunton is passionate about wellness and likes to keep up, or even stay ahead, of trends.&nbsp;“Biohacking is when you start drawing blood on a regular basis and having an analysis done,” he said. “I've been biohacking for 15 years ... I'm living proof of it. I'm 62. I can do 20 pull ups. I'm in as good of shape as I was when I was 40. I hit the golf ball close to 300 yards, but I exercise just about every day.”Another huge component of maintaining fitness is, of course, a healthy diet. Taunton has been involved with Nautical Bowls for nearly four years now. The brand’s products, açai bowls, coincide with his passion for health and fitness perfectly, and he believes they will continue to do so for a long time.“The açai bowl space is not going away. It's not dessert,” he said. “They're all handmade, plant-based, dairy-free, gluten-free, soy-free, made with organic or all natural ingredients. But that's exactly what the consumer is looking for. We're not serving sugar bombs.”That said, Taunton acknowledges that the way consumers prefer to receive their food is changing, and as a franchisor, it’s important to adapt."Today, our footprint size is 500 to 1,000 square feet. Third-party delivery is on the increase. People don't want to leave their home and I'll pay an extra five bucks for you to bring it to me. I'm good with it. So you don't need this footprint,” he said.Consumers are happy to pay for the added convenience and Taunton has the business acumen to understand that it’s a smart move to let them. When it comes to delivery and credit card fees for example, he advises passing those costs on to the consumer. With 66 locations and counting, Nautical Bowls is continuing to grow. For those who want to be a part of it, Taunton has the following advice:“If you have $100,000 cash, if you've got a net worth of $250,000 or more, I can get you financed,” he said. “That's a small business loan and I can get you in the game. But you got to come in with the heart of a lion — you got to come in wanting to work.”A summarized transcript of Taunton’s interview with 1851 Franchise’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/powills/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=nautical-bowls-ceos-passion-for-wellness-paved-his-path-to-success-2726172" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Nick Powills</a> has been included below. It has been edited for clarity, brevity and style.Powills: Can you share how you accidentally fell into franchising?Taunton:&nbsp;Absolutely. It all started over 40 years ago when I began running a small health club with the opportunity to gain equity in the business if successful. After selling my previous ventures, I reentered the fitness space and stumbled into franchising with a small concept that gained unexpected success. Despite having zero franchise experience, my business acumen and common sense helped me create a scalable model, leading to the rapid growth of one of the largest wellness brands globally.Powills: Reflecting on your fitness journey, what insights did you gain?Taunton:&nbsp;Bringing exercise accessibility to people's doorsteps was key. Innovations like no-contract memberships revolutionized the industry. Embracing biohacking highlighted the importance of personalized fitness and nutrition for me, and helped me recognize that not all bodies are the same.Powills: How do you view the evolution of business concepts like Nautical Bowls?Taunton: Adapting to changing consumer needs is crucial. Nautical Bowls downsized its footprint, catering to delivery and takeaway preferences. Scalability, systemization and staying updated with trends are essential for success.Powills: How do you approach pricing and consumer convenience, especially with third-party delivery services?Taunton:&nbsp;Transparently passing on costs to consumers is vital. While third-party delivery adds convenience, embedding costs into pricing ensures sustainable revenue streams. Consumers are willing to pay for convenience, making it a viable model.Powills: What's essential for franchise success, particularly with brands like Nautical Bowls?Taunton:&nbsp;Leveraging technology and data analytics informs strategic decisions. Prospective franchisees need a strong work ethic and active engagement. Empowering franchisees with affordable opportunities and realistic expectations fosters success.Powills: How do you address challenges like third-party delivery fees impacting margins?Taunton:&nbsp;Third-party delivery serves consumer convenience, and passing on associated costs to consumers is reasonable. Proper pricing and transparency ensure sustainable revenue streams. Over time, the industry may see adjustments to align costs and pricing.

From Fitness Clubs to Nautical Bowls Franchise

1851 Franchise

From fitness clubs to açai bowls, Peter Taunton has made a name for himself and his brands in the fitness franchise industry.

Nautical Bowls CEO’s Passion for Wellness Paved His Path to Success

nautical-bowls-ceos-passion-for-wellness-paved-his-path-to-success

SweatHouz

Science, Wellness, Growth: How SweatHouz CEO Mike Tan is Shaping the Future of Contrast Therapy Franchising

mike-tan-franchising-strategy-sweathouz

Biscuit Belly Franchising

Biscuit Belly Expands Across the Southeast U.S. With Six New Locations

biscuit-belly-expands-across-the-southeast-us-with-six-new-locations

Layne's Chicken Fingers

Photo of exterior of Layne's Chicken Fingers restaurant

Layne’s Chicken Fingers Signs Landmark 44-Restaurant Deal, Shatters Records in Monumental Third Quarter

laynes-chicken-franchise-growth-records

Children's Lighthouse

Why Children’s Lighthouse Is a Great Opportunity for Swim School Franchisees

why-childrens-lighthouse-is-a-great-opportunity-for-swim-school-franchisees

Children’s Lighthouse Closes the Third Quarter with Record Franchise Signings and New School Opening

childrenslighthouse-q3-2025-growth

Buying a Franchise Masterclass

 Franchise Opportunities

Get Support Buying a Franchise

How to Buy a Franchise White Paper

How to Buy a Franchise

How to Sell Franchises

How to Grow a Franchise

Find a Franchise Supplier

1851 Franchise Opportunities

Franchisor News

Franchisor Power Rankings

FranCamp Mastermind Summit

Franchise Development Website Builder

Franchise Resources

What ALEC-Laffer's Report Means for Franchising

Website Awards

Power Rankings

About 1851

Advertise on 1851

Contact 1851 Editorial

Terms of Use

1851 Login

GROWTH CLUB LOGIN

facebook

instagram

twitter

linkedin

youtube

Amazon outage, AWS outage, Amazon AWS logo

The Day the Cloud Stalled: How Amazon's Outage Impacted Franchise Economy

amazon-aws-outage-franchise-impact-travel-dining-failure

Thursday 1851 Franchise Agg - NASAA’s Noncompete Push

NASAA’s Noncompete Push Puts Franchise Growth on Uncertain Ground

franchise-noncompete-nasaa-advisory-reasonableness-standard

How a Steady Economy Could Help Franchisors Plan Their Next Move

how-a-steady-economy-could-help-franchisors-plan-their-next-move

Bed Bath & Beyond - Franchise Expansion - Retail Strategy - 1851 Franchise

Bed Bath & Beyond Launches Franchise Model as Part of Comeback Strategy

bed-bath-beyond-franchise-expansion-retail-strategy

Senior Entrepreneurship - Franchising - 1851 Franchise

Senior Entrepreneurship Is Rising — And Franchising Is a Key Outlet

senior-entrepreneurship-franchising-silver-startups

image of franchise deep dive from 1851 franchise on doody calls franchise authority brands

DoodyCalls Franchise Costs, Fees, Profit and Data for 2025

doodycalls-franchise-deep-dive

image of mellow mushroom deep dive into financials article from 1851 franchise

Mellow Mushroom Franchise Costs, Fees, Profit and Data for 2025

mellow-mushroom-franchise-deep-dive

How goGLOW Turned Clean Beauty Into a Scalable Franchise and Why It’s Accelerating Now

goglow-clean-beauty-tanning-franchise

Shoot 360 Aims for the Topgolf Model, Using Elite Basketball Tech to Appeal to Players '7 to 70'

shoot-360-franchise-growth-tech-basketball-brad-butterworth

A Practical Playbook: Who To Call First When Franchising Your Business

franchising-your-business-who-to-call-first

image of jerome hanway from right at home Las Cruces, New Mexico 1851 franchise franchisee spotlight

Jerome Hanway Is Building His Right at Home Franchise Around His Mission To Serve

right-at-home-franchise-las-cruces-jerome-hanway

NJCAR v. Ford - New Jersey Supreme Court Limits Standing Under Franchise Practices Act

New Jersey Supreme Court Limits Standing Under Franchise Practices Act

new-jersey-franchise-practices-act-njcar-v-ford

graphic image of an 1851 franchisee spotlight brayden and johnny steven of teriyaki madness

Father-and-Daughter Team Bring Teriyaki Madness to Wichita, Kansas, With Big Expansion Plans

johnny-brayden-steven-teriyaki-madness-wichita

1851 Franchisee Spotlight graphic with photo of Barb Volk and KidStrong logo

Why This Orangetheory Fitness Franchise Owner Is Developing KidStrong Franchises

kidstrong-franchise-owner-barb-volk-2025

Nautical Bowls CEO’s Passion for Wellness Paved His Path to Success

MORE STORIES LIKE THIS