On January 20, 2014, Retro Fitness announced it had appointed Ray Lauletti to the position of VP of real estate and development for both Retro Fitness and Let’s Yo!, a yogurt company that Retro Fitness founder Eric Casaburi established in 2011.
As VP of real estate and development, Lauletti will work to accelerate Retro Fitness’ expansion and provide support to franchisees. Lauletti shared his thoughts and expectations on his new role.
CS: How do you feel about your new position with Retro Fitness?
RL: I’m really looking forward to being a part of such an exciting and young company that’s primed for growth. My goal is to help take the brand to the next level in terms of its national footprint and size with my new position.
CS: You recently served as Director of Development for Popeye’s Louisiana Kitchen.How will your experience with Popeye’s transfer over into the fitness industry?
RL: Popeye’s is an iconic brand and its franchisor, AFC, really supports its franchisees across the board while keeping each of their best interests in mind. That dedication is transferrable across industries. I hope to bring some of that sensibility for franchisee support and assistance over to my position with Retro Fitness.
CS: Are there any trends concerning real estate and development you’re seeing in the fitness industry?
RL: Currently in the market, there is a lot of competition for sites among gyms and tenants of a similar size. The good locations are at a premium and the market is tightened. It’ll be our job at Retro Fitness to help each franchisee make timely and smart decisions while acting quickly on opportunities we see.
CS: What’s something people don’t know about you, you’d think they’d be interested in knowing?
RL: As I was going for my Ph.D in urban planning, I found my true calling in real estate and business development. Through this I realized that what I enjoyed most was helping entrepreneurs build successful businesses.
CS: How will you support franchisees in your new role?
RL: I am mostly responsible for helping franchisees solve problems and address any issues that they may confront during their opening process. I will be there to guide them through every step, from the time they sign the franchise agreement with Retro Fitness to the day they open their gym doors. I’ll be helping them with cost-effective decision making on real estate location, architects, planning boards and consultants to hire to ultimately get their gym open in a timely and cost effective manner. Retro Fitness as a brand is looking to grow and grow quickly in the right locations. I’ll be working with franchisees to guide them on necessary resources and tools to not just open quickly, but set them up for long-term success.
