In today’s competitive health and fitness market, it’s more important than ever for health clubs to have revenue sources outside of membership dues and personal training. Knowing this, Island Gym & Fitness launched a CityBlends profit center, which has quickly turned into one of their top revenue drivers and a member favorite.
Here, Kristina Rich, the owner and manager of Island Gym & Fitness, shared the problems the CityBlends profit center has solved.
CS: How were you introduced to CityBlends and why did you decide to work with them?
KR: We were first introduced to CityBlends back in 2004 at a trade show in Chicago. At the time, juice bars and protein shakes were becoming more and more popular, leading to our need for an all-inclusive solution. For us, it was the personal attention offered by their entire team that really made the difference. Still today, Denise Nester — who is amazing by the way — helped with our very first order and still handles our City lends account today. People really do make the difference.
CS: What problems has this partnership solved for your business?
KR: Prior to implementing CityBlends, we attempted making our own shakes; buying milk, fruit and various types of protein powders. Although we thought we knew what we were doing, the shakes were never consistent, and the members sometimes wanted shakes from certain employees because of how they made them. We obviously and most likely lost money doing it on our own. CityBlends makes preparing shakes seamless and consistent among every employee, on every shift, even on their first day of work.
CS: What support does CityBlends offer you to ensure success?
KR: CityBlends continually provides us new products and promotions to help keep our juice bar relevant. Currently, we are super excited to launch their new line of superfruit and healthy green additives.
CS: Have you been pleasantly surprised by working with CityBlends in any way?
KR: What most impresses me is that we will occasionally get a call from Stephanie, president of CityBlends, to ask how we are and what we think of something new they are thinking about. Between both her and Denise, we feel privileged and honored to be included.
CS: Has CityBlends helped increase your gym’s revenue?
KR: Today, CityBlends is our #1 profit center, beside our FITx Training Program. We went from selling only a few shakes a day in 2004 to selling 30 to 40 shakes per day per club. We are proud to say that our annual revenue from just CityBlends alone averages $35,000 annually per club.
CS: What else can you tell other club operators about the benefits of working with CityBlends?
KR: My husband and I have owned and operated our four clubs for over 17 years. CityBlends has definitely played a part in improving the image and quality of our gyms. Having a turn-key product that is successful year after year has also helped us be more competitive against some of the new gyms in town. I would highly recommend CityBlends to any club, anywhere, anytime.
For more information on CityBlends and how it can benefit your business, visit http://www.cityblends.com/.
Stay ahead in the fitness industry with exclusive updates!
Rachel Zabonick-Chonko is the editor-in-chief of Club Solutions Magazine. She can be reached at rachel@peakemedia.com.
