Two VCU graduates are launching a business they hope will get peoples’ blood pumping in Short Pump.
Brooks Stone and Stacy Johnstone will open the state’s first OrangeTheory Fitness franchise at 201 Towne Center West Blvd., just west of Short Pump Town Center. The hourlong fitness program includes a mix of cardio exercises meant to maximize calorie burn.
The new OrangeTheory Fitness at 201 Towne Center West Blvd. (Photo by Michael Schwartz)
Stone said they’re shooting for an early March opening at the 3,200-square-foot space.
“We heard about the concept and decided to check it out last year,” said Stone, 30. “It’s a very new, high-tech workout we thought would be a great addition to the area.”
The pair secured the OrangeTheory franchise rights for the entire state, but Stone said they would initially focus on the Richmond market. He said he’s eyeing a second space in the Willow Lawn Shopping Center and a third in Midlothian.
Stone declined to discuss how they are financing the opening.
Short Pump made the most sense for the first location, he said.
“It comes down to demographics,” Stone said. “Richmond can support four, maybe five locations, and we wanted to start in an area where a high number of people have the spending habits to support something like this.”
The OrangeTheory franchise launched in Florida about two years ago, and it has since spread to almost a dozen states. A personal trainer walks students through a set of cardio exercises, including treadmills, rowing machines and suspension training.
Stone said the goal is to maximize heart rates: students wear wrist monitors, and their progress is projected onto screens around the studio. Participants can burn calories up to 36 hours after the end of the workout, Stone said.
“You could come in 300 times a year, and you wouldn’t have the same workout twice,” Stone said.
OrangeTheory enters an already competitive niche fitness market. Other specialized fitness programs – from CrossFit to Pilates to pole dancing – have been popping up in the Richmond area in recent years.
But Stone said the program’s accessibility will help set OrangeTheory apart from the competition.
“It’s really for any level of fitness,” Stone said. “You’ll get something out of it if it’s the first time you’ve ever worked out, or if you’re an elite athlete.”
A basic, four-class-per-month membership will run about $59, and an unlimited package is $159 per month. Stone said ideally they want to sell about 300 memberships before the March opening, and they’re about a third of the way there.
Allyson Petty, a local broker with Blackwood Development Company, represented OrangeTheory Fitness.
Two VCU graduates are launching a business they hope will get peoples’ blood pumping in Short Pump.
Brooks Stone and Stacy Johnstone will open the state’s first OrangeTheory Fitness franchise at 201 Towne Center West Blvd., just west of Short Pump Town Center. The hourlong fitness program includes a mix of cardio exercises meant to maximize calorie burn.
The new OrangeTheory Fitness at 201 Towne Center West Blvd. (Photo by Michael Schwartz)
Stone said they’re shooting for an early March opening at the 3,200-square-foot space.
“We heard about the concept and decided to check it out last year,” said Stone, 30. “It’s a very new, high-tech workout we thought would be a great addition to the area.”
The pair secured the OrangeTheory franchise rights for the entire state, but Stone said they would initially focus on the Richmond market. He said he’s eyeing a second space in the Willow Lawn Shopping Center and a third in Midlothian.
Stone declined to discuss how they are financing the opening.
Short Pump made the most sense for the first location, he said.
“It comes down to demographics,” Stone said. “Richmond can support four, maybe five locations, and we wanted to start in an area where a high number of people have the spending habits to support something like this.”
The OrangeTheory franchise launched in Florida about two years ago, and it has since spread to almost a dozen states. A personal trainer walks students through a set of cardio exercises, including treadmills, rowing machines and suspension training.
Stone said the goal is to maximize heart rates: students wear wrist monitors, and their progress is projected onto screens around the studio. Participants can burn calories up to 36 hours after the end of the workout, Stone said.
“You could come in 300 times a year, and you wouldn’t have the same workout twice,” Stone said.
OrangeTheory enters an already competitive niche fitness market. Other specialized fitness programs – from CrossFit to Pilates to pole dancing – have been popping up in the Richmond area in recent years.
But Stone said the program’s accessibility will help set OrangeTheory apart from the competition.
“It’s really for any level of fitness,” Stone said. “You’ll get something out of it if it’s the first time you’ve ever worked out, or if you’re an elite athlete.”
A basic, four-class-per-month membership will run about $59, and an unlimited package is $159 per month. Stone said ideally they want to sell about 300 memberships before the March opening, and they’re about a third of the way there.
Allyson Petty, a local broker with Blackwood Development Company, represented OrangeTheory Fitness.
Way to go Brooks, wishing you best of health and success!