Menzies led a full-scale rebrand of Snap Fitness, positioning the 24/7 gym franchise for expansion across North America, Europa and Asia

Ty Menzies effectively took over as global CEO of Snap Fitness and parent company Lift Brands right when the pandemic hit in March 2020. Despite running an entire global gym operation from his kitchen in Australia, Menzies helped steer the brand through COVID before piloting a full-scale rebrand designed to bring Snap into the modern, post-pandemic fitness era.

Four years later, the Minnesota-based franchisor of 24/7, no-frills gyms is thriving both domestically and internationally. Snap Fitness currently counts 1,000-plus global locations, including large presences in the U.S., Australia and the U.K., with plans to become even bigger across Europe, the Middle East and Asia.

Menzies spoke with Athletech News about how he got his start in fitness franchising, Snap’s massive rebranding effort, and Snap’s plans for continued domestic and international franchise expansion.

The following conversation has been lightly edited for clarity and length.

Athletech News: Can you tell us a bit about your background in fitness franchising?

Ty Menzies: I come from a family of restaurateurs, so I always wanted to have my own business at some stage. I studied sports management at school and got into personal training. I went from personal training to a sales role and then moved to the U.K. where I became a club manager at a Gold’s Gym in London. That was really my introduction to running a franchise and business management. I loved it; the gentleman who recruited me for that role was John Treharne, who became founder of The Gym Group. 

I was fortunate enough to have a bit of money in my back pocket at this time, and I was able to borrow some more to buy my first franchise with EFM Health Clubs Australia, which is a smaller boutique functional training concept, similar to F45 and BFT. I ended up with three EFMs across Melbourne, Australia, and I also bought two independent gyms, which I turned into 24/7 clubs. I ran those for quite some time before selling most of them in 2014. 

ATN: How did you get involved with Snap Fitness and Lift Brands?

TM: I wound up having a conversation with the then-master franchise owners for Snap Fitness in Australia and New Zealand who were based out of Brisbane, and I stepped in to run the Snap Fitness business there. In April of 2018, we sold the master franchise rights for Australia and New Zealand back to Lift Brands, and I became the CEO of the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region for Snap Fitness. 

In early 2020, our global CEO left and I basically took over in March 2020. My first few months were very interesting because I hadn’t yet been announced as the new global CEO (Menzies was officially named Global CEO of Lift Brands in May 2020) but I was navigating our global response to COVID from my kitchen bench in Australia. We were operating in 20-plus countries and over 40 states in the U.S. I finally made it to the U.S. in June 2020 and really started diving into the global business. Four years later, it’s been a pretty significant ride, including COVID and a range of other things we’ve had to navigate.

credit: Snap Fitness

ATN: Once the dust settled from the pandemic, what major changes did you implement at Snap Fitness?

TM:  When I stepped into the global role, I knew we had to go through a process of repositioning the Snap Fitness brand. We recruited a new head of marketing who came to the business with significant brand strategy experience in hospitality. We then brought on a consulting firm to really start understanding who our members were. What we found was interesting: consumers in the U.S., Australia and the U.K. are very similar in what they want. 

We also saw a very homogenous health and fitness industry – the way we talk about exercise is very performance and physically led. Everything we were seeing was before-and-after photos, “harder, faster, stronger” and “no pain, no gain.” That’s very performance-driven language which can be quite daunting for a lot of people who are new to the gym space. 

ATN: With those findings in mind, how did Snap Fitness rebrand itself?

TM: We saw an opportunity to reposition Snap Fitness entirely, focusing on exercise from the perspective of how it makes you feel, not just how it makes you look. This included not just a change of logo and color scheme, but a change of our go-to-market strategy, our communication to the end consumer, and a change in our tagline from a very performance-driven, “Fast, Affordable, Convenient,” to our new tagline, “For the Feeling.”

We also changed the look and feel of our clubs to be lighter and more uplifting. When someone walks into a club, for example, our desks are now raised higher so that when any new potential member comes in, they’re seeing someone at eye height rather than sitting down at a desk. We’ve got walls up in our clubs with good-mood messaging that affirms that “For the Feeling” element. 

credit: Snap Fitness

ATN: How else does Snap Fitness stand out from other gyms, particularly those that are also open 24/7? 

TM: It’s not so much about the amenities. The reality is if you put a brand new Anytime Fitness right next to a brand new Snap Fitness, the physical attributes of the clubs are both going to be very nice, they’re both going to have great equipment and they’re going to be nicely fitted out. Most people would love to work out in either of them. We’ve all been to restaurants where you walk into one restaurant versus another and both have great food and great facilities. Where you have the best experience comes down to who has the best customer service, so that’s been a huge part of what we’ve focused on and how we’re educating our franchisees and club managers. 

credit: Snap Fitness

ATN: How is Snap Fitness positioned for international success?

TM: Snap Fitness currently operates in 18 countries. In six of those, Canada, the U.S., Australia, New Zealand, the U.K. and Ireland, we own and drive directly ourselves, meaning we don’t have any master franchisor. That’s unlike our competitors in the marketplace who have typically sold master franchise licenses in other regions. We also have direct offices in London, Minneapolis and Brisbane where we have Lift Brands employees who are directly supporting our franchisees. 

We do have countries – in Europe, the Middle East and Asia –  where we have master franchisors. But now that we have direct offices in both the U.K. and Brisbane, we can directly support our master franchisors and their franchisees in their dedicated time zones. That’s a lot better than trying to support them directly out of the U.S. office.

ATN: How big can Snap Fitness become, both domestically and internationally?

TM: We’re at just over 1,000 locations today, with around 550 in the U.S., around 340 in APAC, mostly in Australia and New Zealand, and around 130 across the EMEA region, mostly in the U.K. and Ireland. 

We have very big growth goals across the board –  between now and 2028, we expect close to 1,300 locations. Last year, we had our biggest year of franchise sales since 2012, with 77 new licenses sold, the majority of which came out of APAC and EMEA. We’re also starting to get moving across the U.S. again. We’ve got a lofty goal of selling 82 to 83 (licenses) this year.

ATN: Lift Brands, which fully owns Snap Fitness and Fitness On Demand along with minority stakes in other brands, is exploring a sale. Why is Lift looking to find a new owner?

TM: We’re predominantly private equity owned, and private equity always has a horizon in terms of buy-and-sell timing, usually it’s five to six years. Our private equity investor has been with us for around 10 years now, so it’s the right time for them to exit. I’m excited about the opportunity to bring in a new, energetic investor who can really get behind some of these strategies for growth I want to drive. 

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KEY, an energy drink that trades sugar and caffeine for ketones, will be available online and at select retailers in New York and LA

A refreshing addition is on the way for consumers seeking more balanced alternatives to coffee and traditional energy drinks. Hailing from rival soft drink brands PepsiCo and Coca-Cola, Tekla Back and Karishma Thawani have not only stopped competing against each other but joined forces to launch KEY, an all-natural energy drink harnessing the power of ketones. 

As it launches the brand, KEY announced the closing of a $4M seed round led by AgFunder, a foodtech and agtech investment fund. The brand also received financial support from Alethia and AgFunder SIJ Impact Fund. The KEY team plans to use this new capital to support strategic retail distribution, inventory and marketing efforts. 

“As a former PepsiCo exec, I swore I’d never launch a beverage, as I know how tough it is to start and scale a brand,” Back said. “However, when I discovered the benefits of ketones, I became determined to make them accessible for all.” 

Rather than rely on sugar or caffeine like most energy drinks, KEY uses ketones to offer consumers a clean, energized and less jittery feeling. The beverage is designed to help break down the “short energy, hard crash” connotation energy drinks carry. 

“The first time I tried ketones, I was blown away by the long-lasting energy, the euphoric feeling and the mental focus I felt,” Thawani said. “I cannot wait for everyone to experience KEY to tap into their full potential.”

Tekla Back (l) and Karishma Thawani (credit: KEY)

The ketones in each beverage, all of which are naturally made using fermentation, also improve a drinker’s cognitive benefits, appetite suppression, metabolic health and enhanced recovery, according to KEY.

In addition to selling direct-to-consumer and on Amazon, KEY will roll out its first line of beverages at “select, curated retailers” including Southern California staple Erewhon and in high-traffic stores across Manhattan, Brooklyn and The Hamptons.

Manuel Gonzalez, general partner at AgFunder, says KEY fills a need in the market for cleaner alternatives to traditional energy drinks.

“I was an investment banker for many years. We survived day in and day out with caffeine and energy drinks, boxes, and boxes of them. Every time, I thought, well, this is not good for me, but let’s have it,” Gonzalez said. “When I saw KEY, I thought, this is not possible, all-natural, no sugar, no caffeine, how can this be? Well, it so happens that ketones activate our own body’s ability to make energy. Ketones and green tea are my new mantra.”

Back and Thawani haven’t been the only ones to recognize the need for more healthy alternatives in the energy drink industry.

Earlier this year, Odyssey raised $6 million to support its Lions Mane and Cordyceps mushroom-infused drink. Yerba mate drink product Mateina just expanded into the United States with funding from Tiny Fund I, LP. and support from wellness influencer Dr. Andrew Huberman. 

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Lindora’s early franchise partners include former tech product specialists, consulting firm partners, entrepreneurs, CEOs and founders, a testament to the booming metabolic health and weight loss markets

As the world’s largest boutique fitness and wellness franchisor, Xponential Fitness is no stranger to promising new business ventures in the health sector. The brand’s latest and most daring acquisition, Lindora, is already beginning to pay off as the metabolic health and weight loss markets explode.

Xponential purchased the leading provider of medically guided weight loss and metabolic health solutions in late 2023, marking the brand’s most significant step outside the traditional boutique fitness space and into the broader wellness arena. This diversification of Xponential’s portfolio has already laid the foundation for a lucrative future, including introducing new franchise owners into a growing pipeline.

A New Wave of Franchisees 

With metabolic health emerging as a new point of concentration in the fitness and wellness space, Xponential has been able to reel in Lindora franchise partners including former tech product specialists, consulting firm partners and actuaries, entrepreneurs, CEOs, and company founders. 

“Lindora has franchise agreements with owners from diverse backgrounds including technology, software development, real estate, marketing and sales, personal training, and finance,” said Lou DeFrancisco, Lindora President. “This broad adoption underscores the appeal of the investment opportunity, aligning with Xponential’s overarching network of owners.”

The Lindora team views the increased buzz around wellness as a driving force behind this phenomenon. Xponential’s documented history of taking brands to the next level is a contributing factor as well. The franchisor has grown 2017 acquisition StretchLab to 400+ studios after it had just three in 2018, for example.

DeFrancisco, who served as president of StretchLab during its early growth, sees some similarities between the assisted stretching franchise and Lindora.

“Similar to our launch of StretchLab, this diverse owner group all share a passion for health and wellness, and to make a difference in people’s lives and the communities they live in,” he said. 

“(Lindora) franchise owners see the value in the overall investment opportunity because of the increasing consumer demand for more holistic, integrated health and wellness services, the growing consumer awareness of the importance of longevity practices like improving one’s metabolic health, as well as the confidence in Xponential’s success in scaling boutique health and wellness brands while providing exceptional support,” DeFrancisco added. 

Lou DeFrancisco (credit: Xponential Fitness)

Lindora’s own name and the prestige it carries generate attraction as well. 

“Lindora has a very long and rich history in the marketplace with 50+ years of offering innovative services such as weight management programs, weight loss medications, hormone replacement therapy, IV hydration, and more,” noted DeFrancisco. “With 31 locations open, it has established itself as a trusted brand in the health and wellness industry improving many lives across millions of client visits.”

Lindora recently inked multi-unit license agreements in locations such as Dallas, Boise, Idaho, Rochester, Buffalo, Atlanta, Chicago and Portland (Oregon). It’s a strong next step for the brand, which already has 30 clinics open in Southern California and another in Washington.

credit: Xponential Fitness

Plenty of Room for Growth

While Xponential is already pleased with Lindora’s progress, there’s reason to believe this is just the tip of the iceberg. Holistic health is becoming a bigger and bigger draw every day, and Xponential is thrilled to have a horse in the race. 

The United States boasts the world’s largest wellness economy, valued at $1.8 trillion, according to a new report from The Global Wellness Institute (GWI) in partnership with the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM), suggesting Xponential’s bet on Lindora will age well. 

“The pandemic caused a shift in people’s awareness and demand for better overall health and wellness, and from that has come an expanded definition of what ‘health and wellness’ means for consumers and how it ties directly to longevity,” said DeFrancisco. “Healthy weight management is now widely understood as a core aspect of promoting longevity and overall metabolic health.”

As DeFrancisco noted, Lindora’s expansion comes as the weight loss industry in particular surges in popularity in the U.S. and across the world, including GLP-1 drugs as well as more holistic approaches to weight management. 

The brand just announced its first-ever “Countdown to Summer Challenge,” which should only fuel that fire. The initiative encourages members to enroll in a wellness membership and begin a 10-week weight loss challenge aimed at helping them reach a personal goal. Personalized nutritional coaching, meal plans, exercise recommendations and check-ins to track progress are all provided. 

“While Lindora offers other services, weight loss and management is the core offering, and given the projected global weight management industry is $400 billion, there is a huge opportunity to scale Lindora through franchising,” he added. “Given Lindora’s success over its 50+ year history as a medically guided provider, we see this as a unique consumer and franchisee value proposition.”

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Blink has been attracting new members in key demographics under president Guy Harkless, who took the reins of the Equinox-owned franchise in late 2023

Blink Fitness is undergoing a renaissance. With a newly announced, multimillion-dollar investment in its most heavily trafficked gym locations and the launch of a certified personal trainer program, the NYC-based fitness franchise, founded by Equinox in 2011, is living up to its new mantra: ‘Blink Boldly.’

The new investment will see Blink upgrade 30 of its most-trafficked locations, equipping them with over 1,700 new pieces of cardio and strength training equipment, including hack squat machines, as well as recovery technology from Hyperice and WellnessSpace Brands, along with refreshed interiors. 

The rollout will begin in some of Blink’s New York and New Jersey locations.

Blink has also teamed with Focus Personal Training Institute (FPTI) to provide a certificated personal training program exclusive to the fitness brand and its staffers. The partnership sees Blink sponsor the training for new employees, creating opportunities for those eager to become certified personal trainers.

With over 600 trainers across its locations, Blink president Guy Harkless told Athletech News that it’s important for the fitness brand to have a partner that keeps up with the latest trends and state-of-the-art techniques.

“They’re highly accredited, and they’ve been a really strong partner,” Harkless said of FPTI, which is based in New York. “They’ve launched the careers of a number of individuals who are interested in getting into fitness in some way, shape or form. They’ve done a tremendous job in terms of bringing really strong trainers into our model, and our members have benefited from that.”

The new CPT program is another way that Blink is supporting its communities, as the fitness operator says more than half of its current employees were members first. 

Women & Under-30 Membership Growth

Harkless, who’s held leadership roles at Champs Sports, Eastbay, Foot Locker, Nike and Puma, was appointed president of Blink less than six months ago. Since then, the affordable fitness franchise has already experienced impressive numbers, including a 26% increase in new members under the age of 30 and a double-digit increase in join rates for women.

Blink’s achievements are likely due in part to Harkless’ proactive, hands-on approach. 

“I made it a mission when I first joined the business to get to each and every one of our locations within the first six months,” Harkless said, sharing that he’s about 98% of the way through his Blink gym tour that will see some stop at all 101 of the gym brand’s locations.

“What I’m really encouraged by is that the engagement of our members is at a very high level,” he said, adding that check-ins for this year continue to be elevated. “We’re essentially at the same level that we were during the pre-COVID period in terms of check-ins per location, and we continue to see growth year-over-year.”

Guy Harkless (credit: Blink Fitness)

While Blink’s business model is carefully crafted to deliver ‘fitness for all,’ it’s worth noting the double-digit increase in women joining Blink.

“We’ve been very intentional about focusing on things to cater to our female members,” Harkless said, pointing to Blink’s ‘Women in the Weight Room’ series, which launched a little over a year ago.

Blink also added a ‘Girls in the Weight Room’ event to the series, recently attracting over 500 attendees ages 14-17, with Blink donating more than 300 free year memberships to interested participants.

The fitness chain has also been intentional about providing a solid representation of both male and female trainers.

credit: Blink Fitness

Leaning Into Recovery & Personalization

As for Blink’s partnerships testing FitBench and EGYM products in some locations, Harkless reports he’s been pleased with the early results. FitBench, in particular, has been rolled out to additional locations.

“Individualization is really important, particularly as you get into personal training,” Harkless said. “So that integration we’re doing with FitBench with our certified personal trainers offers a one-stop area that an individual can get into and have something catered specifically to them.”

Blink will also continue testing items in the recovery space this year, an area Harkless says is vital to the gym brand as members embrace post-training recovery. Hyperice massage guns will be tested in some locations as well as products from WellnessSpace Brands, the maker of HydroMassage.

Optimism Around GLP-1s

Although Blink doesn’t offer specialized programming for GLP-1 users like its parent brand Equinox, the fitness franchise does feature a 360-degree training program that includes weight loss, cardio, and strength and vascular training. 

Harkless noted that Blink has discovered some encouraging news in exploring the GLP-1 space and related weight-loss studies. 

“One of the things that we’ve found is that folks that are using some of the GLP-1 medications are actually more active in fitness, so we think that that’s really important for the industry,” he said. “For whatever reason, it’s led to much more engagement for people that do want to come in.”

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