Regymen Fitness to Launch 15+ New Units in U.S. and Canada Plus 7–10 Units of New Recovery Spa Concept in 2021

2020 was a difficult year for businesses in virtually every industry, and the challenges of COVID-19 and state-mandated closures were particularly threatening to gyms, which traditionally rely on close, in-person interaction. But while many fitness businesses struggled to overcome those challenges, REGYMEN Fitness, the boutique-fitness-studio concept whose franchise opportunity launched in 2018 and has already grown to 22 locations in markets across the U.S. plus a Master Franchise Development Agreement with GOODLIFE Fitness in Canada, proved a rare exception.

Thanks to tireless corporate support and a savvy reopening strategy, each of REGYMEN Fitness’s locations came roaring back to business as soon as states allowed, allowing franchisees to stay well-positioned for success in 2021.

Now, the fitness franchise is preparing to leverage that strong positioning for substantial growth in the new year, including at least five new franchise locations and the introduction of a brand-new spa concept called The Covery, which will operate as a separate business model that can be franchised as its own brick-and-mortar space or in tandem with REGYMEN.

“We’re very proud of the work our team accomplished throughout last year to ensure that our gyms opened as quickly and safely as possible,” said Edward Navan, REGYMEN’s co-founder and chief strategy officer. “Now we’re looking forward, and we’re in a great position to grow.”

Among REGYMEN’s slate of new franchise openings planned for 2021, two are hybrid locations, featuring both REGYMEN and The Covery concepts in a single location.

“By combining The Covery and REGYMEN under one roof, we’re going to offer a complete wellness experience that customers can’t find elsewhere,” Navan said. “We are really pushing the envelope of both what an EVOLVED SPA concept can offer and what a fitness club can offer. In addition, we understand that the potential franchisee candidate might already have another fitness brand that they are part of, so we want to offer them a platform that perfectly fits their existing demographic and touches on an even wider audience that might be interested in the aesthetic services, athletic recovery, and overall wellness options that The Covery has to offer. The groups that are interested in The Covery early on are all coming from a different franchise offering, so we are finding that The Covery has a wide appeal to those interested in a new concept. From those in the food industry to the salon sector, we are finding that The Covery is the perfect platform at the ideal time in our current business climate.”

In addition to offering a unique wellness experience, REGYMEN and The Covery’s hybrid model is designed to expand the target customer base for both models and increase memberships dramatically.

Memberships are central to REGYMEN’s business model, and throughout the COVID-19 shutdowns, the brand made some effective pivots to ensure members remained engaged, starting with offering online classes.

“We launched online workouts right away,” said Tatum Crews, director of sales and marketing for REGYMEN, in an interview with 1851 Franchise in April. “We have templates that are sent out to our system every night at 7 p.m. so that they’re prepared with a new, fresh workout for the following day. These include full tutorials from coaches and a live movement stream, which is what our members would normally see in our gyms.”

Throughout the shutdowns, REGYMEN also partnered with equipment brands Perform Better, Throwdown, and CORE Health and Fitness to sell equipment bundles to members so they could make the most of their online classes.

Those measures, among others, helped REGYMEN franchisees maintain a consistent stream of revenue throughout 2020, when many other fitness businesses had come to a complete halt.

Jedd Soto, a REGYMEN franchisee in Austin, Texas who is currently preparing to open the second of a planned 10 locations in his market, said the support he received from REGYMEN’s corporate team proved an invaluable resource throughout the pandemic.

“We’ve been working closely with the corporate team. The leadership has been fantastic throughout the entire COVID-19 crisis,” said Soto. “REGYMEN’s corporate team has been helping negotiate leases, developing the strategy for online and at-home workouts, and they’ve even been setting up deals to purchase equipment. They have been on the front lines of that and execute very strong communication to help us reach out to members however we can during the crisis. It’s really been exceptional.”

As entrepreneurs and aspiring business owners look for new opportunities in 2021, they will surely be looking closely at how franchise brands weathered the COVID-19 crisis and supported franchisees through shutdowns. Thanks to REGYMEN’s effective pivoting and elevated corporate support, the brand is likely to appeal to a broad audience of prospective franchisees.

To make the most of that enviable position, Navan’s team will be partnering with Franchise Fast Lane, a franchise sales organization, which will help REGYMEN and The Covery effectively expand their footprints with new locations, new franchisees and new markets throughout 2021.

“We’re in an incredible position to grow right now, and Franchise Fast Lane is going to help us take full advantage of that position,” Navan said. “But this isn’t about growth for growth’s sake. With REGYMEN and The Covery, we have two killer franchise opportunities and enormous demand for what they offer. We’re excited to start meeting that demand.”