Nutrition is a vital component to your members’ health and fitness. That is why more and more, health clubs are incorporating smoothie bars or cafés into their fitness centers, to ensure members have a convenient way to get a healthy, nutritious pre- or post-workout meal or snack.
Here, NrGize franchisee Scott Baublitz shares why members of LA Fitness in York, Pennsylvania, love the smoothies at his NrGize Lifestyle Café.
CS: How were you introduced to NrGize and why did you decide to work with them?
SB: I came across an NrGize Lifestyle Café® for sale toward the end of 2009, and I was looking to do something where I could interact with people. After speaking with the owner, tasting the product and reading the mission statement, I was convinced this was what I wanted to pursue. The previous owner had nothing but good things to say about the NrGize brand and the support he had received from the corporate office. It did not take me long to make a decision to purchase the location.
CS: What problems has this partnership solved for your business?
SB: This partnership has given me the ability to interact with thousands of gym members and offer them healthy choices for their workout needs that are not normally found in other gyms. Partnering with NrGize has also given me the flexibility to spend time with my family, especially my grandchildren.
CS: What support does NrGize offer you to ensure success?
SB: The support was apparent from day one. I was able to attend a solid week of training held at the corporate office in Scottsdale, Arizona. During that time, I learned how to listen to the customer, how to respond in a positive manner, as well as all the ins and outs of how to create a positive experience for the customer.
In addition, the marketing department is only a text or phone call away, making it easy to communicate new marketing ideas and then take those ideas and make them a reality. Whether it’s a coupon, customer appreciation day, daily specials, or any other idea I may come up with, the marketing team puts their creative magic to work.
In addition to the marketing team, the research and development team spends many hours working to create the next batch of great tasting, healthy smoothies to introduce to customers. Even when I have an idea for a new smoothie, the marketing and research and development departments put it to the test to see if it meets the NrGize standards.
CS: Have you been pleasantly surprised by working with NrGize in any way?
SB: Yes, pleasantly surprised is putting it mildly. Any question or concern I may have is always answered in a timely manner. I am also pleasantly surprised when a gym member comes up to order their pre- or post-workout smoothie and tells me they were out of town for a while and they visited another gym that either did not have a juice/smoothie bar, or the juice/smoothie bar that was there did not offer the quality or variety that our NrGize Café does.
I have been able to make hundreds if not thousands of friends over the past eight years, and many times when I am out and about in public, I bump into a gym member that visits the café. They always wave, flash a smile, or sometimes make small talk, and on some occasions they ask me what the next great tasting smoothie will be.
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Rachel Zabonick-Chonko is the editor-in-chief of Club Solutions Magazine. She can be reached at rachel@peakemedia.com.
