Inside Chuze Fitness Expansion Strategy: How the Brand is Scaling Without Losing Its Core Culture
Chuze Fitness has emerged as a major player in the fitness industry, expanding its footprint to 58 locations while maintaining the high-quality experience its members expect. In 2023, the company made bold moves by acquiring 21 locations across Texas and Florida, purchasing two franchised locations in San Diego, and opening six new gyms. Now, as the company gears up for its next phase of growth, CEO Cory Brightwell reflects on key lessons learned and the trends shaping the industry.
A Strategic Approach to Expansion
Chuze’s expansion has been both rapid and strategic. With 58 locations now under its umbrella, the company plans to double that number in the next five to six years. However, scaling at such a pace comes with challenges, particularly in integrating newly acquired locations.
Brightwell acknowledged that acquisitions are a learning curve. “These acquisitions we took on in 2023 were the first time we’ve tried acquiring anything,” he said. “And so they each came with their own sets of challenges.”
One major challenge was aligning newly acquired locations with Chuze’s operating model and culture. The company initially gave teams time to adjust but found that a faster transition is often necessary.
“When we make our next acquisition, I’m definitely going to be much more aggressive on timelines regarding the changeover to our operating model and our culture,” said Brightwell.
Facility upgrades were another hurdle. Some locations required significant renovations, but keeping them open during construction proved disruptive.
“Instead of just shutting those down and doing the construction closed and not interrupting the members, we tried to keep the locations open,” explained Brightwell. “And it just dragged out those construction timelines.”
Moving forward, Brightwell plans to close locations during major renovations to speed up the process.
Scaling Without Losing the Chuze Culture
Rapid expansion often brings concerns about maintaining company culture. Chuze has worked hard to implement new processes and systems to scale effectively without making employees feel like the company is “going corporate.”
“We’ve had to adopt a lot more processes and adjust the way we’re running our business to be able to scale more efficiently,” said Brightwell. “It can very quickly feel like we’re going corporate and that can become the sentiment in the field or for your home office support team. But I think we’ve done a really good job of managing that.”
A key factor in preserving company culture has been clear communication. Employees are often resistant to change when they don’t understand the reasoning behind it, and Brightwell emphasized the importance of ensuring teams are aligned.
“Many times, it can often feel if you’re an employee in the field there’s these executives up there just implementing changes to cause pain,” said Brightwell. “I think we’ve done a great job of controlling that narrative.”
Industry Trends and the Rise of Gen Z Gym-Goers
Chuze is also keeping a close eye on shifting industry trends, particularly the rising influence of Gen Z members. Strength training and functional training continue to dominate gym floors, while cardio equipment is becoming less of a focal point.
Brightwell is optimistic about Gen Z’s enthusiasm for fitness. “I feel like the Gen Z generation has just made gyms part of their lifestyle,” he said. “And that’s awesome. It’s not something that we have to convince them to do. They’re ready. It’s just a matter of which gym they choose.”
However, their preferences differ from previous generations. Younger members favor flexibility in memberships, avoiding long-term commitments. “They seem to steer away from committing for 12 months and prefer to have that flexibility,” said Brightwell. “Which makes sense when you think of all the other subscription-type models out there, like Hulu or Netflix.”
Additionally, Chuze has invested in technology to create a frictionless gym experience. The company rolled out a custom mobile app in 2024, allowing members to manage their accounts seamlessly.
“It really gives the member the ability to manage their membership at their fingertips and not have to go into the club or not have to call somebody,” Brightwell explained. “Consumers in general want to have the ability to control. They don’t want friction when using the gym or really using any business.”
Addressing Gym Etiquette and Social Media Use
With more young members in gyms, Chuze is also navigating the challenges that come with balancing different age groups and social media habits. Some older members have expressed frustration with crowded weight rooms and the prevalence of social media filming.
“The teenagers taking over the weight room floors is the general narrative that we hear sometimes,” Brightwell noted.
To alleviate potential conflicts, Chuze is considering designated selfie and filming areas within its facilities. “We want engagement on social media from our members … but you also want them to respect those who are in the facility around them,” said Brightwell.
The Key to Chuze Fitness Expansion Strategy Success: Prioritization
As fitness operators continue to navigate pricing shifts, industry trends and evolving consumer demands, Brightwell’s advice is simple: stay focused on what matters most.
“There’s a lot of noise, a lot of changes out there, and it’s tough to figure out which one to focus on,” said Brightwell. “Ultimately, you can’t do them all. And if you try to do them all, it’s going to be less effective.”
For Chuze, this means being disciplined in prioritization and ensuring leadership alignment. “We’ve really gotten into being laser-focused and disciplined on prioritization,” said Brightwell. “That would probably be my No. 1 piece of advice: prioritize.”
With this strategy in mind, Chuze Fitness is poised to continue its expansion while staying true to the values that have made it a success.
