Multi-Brand Franchisee Brings Decades of Experience to WORKOUT ANYTIME

Trey Hornsby may not have realized it back then, but his first job as a delivery driver for Pizza Hut would later chart the course for his career in the years to come.

Like a lot of college students, Hornsby delivered pizzas when not in the classroom to earn a little extra cash. Even after he graduated college, the brand stayed with him—he later became an assistant manager for Pizza Hut. It was an upward climb from there, and Hornsby went on to become a manager, an area supervisor, and, finally, a regional manager in Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas. Realizing Hornsby had a strong knack for running a franchise system, Pizza Hut suggested he move to Denver, Colorado—one of the brand’s poor performing territories. In four short years, he managed to turn things around for the brand, taking it from one of the worst in the system to one of the best.

That successful experience got him noticed by Yum! Brands, and he was eventually promoted to VP of Operations for Long John Silvers and A&W. Then, after nearly 18 years with Yum! Brands (going from delivery driver to his final role as senior executive of operations) he decided to move on to a new brand—Zoe’s Kitchen. This time, he decided to be on the ground floor of it all—he bought the rights to Kentucky and became a multi-unit franchisee with Zoe’s. Six years later, Hornsby, alongside his wife, operate three locations. But when Zoe’s went public two years ago, he feared his stores would eventually be bought back. That forced him to rethink his direction.

“When I became a franchisee with Zoe’s, the number of franchisee-owned stores was nearly 50 percent. Now, there are 160 locations nationwide, and I’m the only franchisee left—the rest are corporate-owned stores. I knew I didn’t want to go back to corporate America,” Hornsby said. “That’s when I reached out to a friend—Greg Parker, who works in franchise development for WORKOUT ANYTIME. I have more than two decades of experience in the restaurant industry, and it’s treated me very well. But I realized there’s so much opportunity in the fitness world. It was time to branch out.”

Today, Hornsby is the owner of a WORKOUT ANYTIME in Bardstown, Kentucky. He admits there are a lot of differences between operating a gym and operating a restaurant, but they’re challenges he’s excited to overcome.

“I love restaurants, but I also love fitness and working out. I grew up playing golf, tennis and baseball—so fitness has been a part of my life for a long time. For that reason, becoming a franchisee with WORKOUT ANYTIME was an easy sell,” Hornsby said. “After doing more research, I saw that this was a brand that ‘gets it.’ They know how to perfect a simple concept and make it effective. There’s so much growth potential for the brand. They really do have a competitive edge in their marketplace. It was an opportunity that just felt right.”

As Hornsby gets his first store up and running, he’s already confident that WORKOUT ANYTIME will play an even bigger role in his life in the years to come. Down the road, he’s aiming to open three to five locations throughout Kentucky and Southern Indiana.