03 Aug 2018
Orangetheory reveals plans for first UK studio outside London
BY Tom Walker
Orangetheory Fitness will open its first out-of-London UK studio in Altrincham, Greater Manchester, in December.
The US-based operator is looking to strengthen its foothold on the UK market and the Altrincham opening will kick start the brand's expansion across the Midlands and Northern England.
In February, Orangetheory signed a deal with Wellcomm Health and Fitness, which will see 40 studios open by 2028.
The regional master franchise deal covers an area from Buckinghamshire to Northumberland.
The studios will be operated by Wellcomm, a company set up for the venture by a group of entrepreneurs led by chair Mike Dixon and CEO Alistair Firth.
Speaking to Leisure Opportunities in February, Firth said the company's strategy will be to open in clusters.
"We'll be looking to build additional sites within a 15-20 mile radius of our first couple of sites," he said.
“The intention is to build brand presence in the markets we enter and then build from there – rather than have the first three sites in, say, Liverpool, Newcastle and Birmingham.”
Described as one of the world’s fastest-growing franchise businesses, Orangetheory launched its first studio in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, in 2010.
Since then it has rapidly expanded to nearly 857 studios in 47 US states and 17 countries – with another 500 studios in the development pipeline. The franchise expects to reach 1,150 open studios in 2018.
Orangetheory is based on a 60-minute, five-zone, heart-rate monitored, interval training concept.
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