In this exclusive CS interview, we interviewed Dwayne Turner, the fitness director at City Fitness. We’ll discussed the implications, and possible profitability, of having a juice bar or cafe in your club.
Q: What makes City Fitness’ juice bar successful?
A: The juice bar here at City Fitness is successful because of the customer service we provide to each member or non-member that visits. The information that is provided as well as the delicious replacement shakes help all member get the necessary information to help them obtain their desired fitness goals.
Our juice bar is located towards the front of our building, closer to the lobby and all traffic is funneled towards that area. Having a juice bar or any supplementation counter in your club can only increase your revenue. People are always going to supplementation store outside your club and spending money there so why not capitalize on this and increase your profits? We do live in a society that is all about convenience and accessibility. So if I can get all my needs in one area, that would benefit me and the club.
Q: What types of products should be sold in a club’s juice bar?
A: Before you include any type of weight loss or supplementation products, you must have a knowledgeable staff. A juice bar should include a variety of products — whey protein, thermogenics, vitamins and a variety of information that will help the member be informed about the products.
Members like to be informed because they want to know about the products they see on television or they read in magazines. Information is the key to success.
Q: How do you market your juice bar?
A: We market our juice bar through our website, passing out samples of our delicious treats during primetime hours to our members and the personal trainers bringing their clients to the juice bar for a recovery shake. We also give our prospective members samples so even if they don’t join they stop in for a shakes before and after work. The club has to be proactive in driving in business to the juice bar.
Q: Is there anything else you’d like to add about the benefits of having a juice bar?
A: Having a juice bar in your club will add extra money to your bottom line. People like recovery shakes. They like to sit and gather at the juice bar and talk about their workout and the club. It creates a community inside your facility. It creates an environment that will spread out into the community and will drive in business for memberships and personal trainer. A club should want to include a juice bar or supplement counter. Anybody who is in the fitness arena will always inquire about the need for supplementation, so why not have it in your facility? If not, you lose a chance to build your bottom line on profit.
Interview by Rachel Zabonick
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Rachel Zabonick-Chonko is the editor-in-chief of Club Solutions Magazine. She can be reached at rachel@peakemedia.com.
