The high-value, low-price gym floor doesn’t look — or feel — like it did a decade ago, and the operators who’ve caught on are the ones pulling ahead. Todd Scartozzi, the COO of Retro Fitness, joined the Club Solutions Magazine podcast to unpack how strength training, recovery amenities and a hospitality mindset are reshaping what members expect from an HVLP membership and why clubs that ignore the shift risk falling behind.
Scartozzi traces his path from two decades in hotel operations to running Retro Fitness’ growth engine. He digs into Gen Z and millennial members’ pivot toward strength and specialized training, how recovery has moved from an add-on amenity to table stakes and why value perception, not price alone, now drives HVLP loyalty. For operators rethinking their floor plan or membership tiers, Scartozzi’s playbook offers a concrete blueprint.
Show Notes:
- At 1:05, Scartozzi traces his path from 20 years in hotel operations, including as senior vice president of Omni Hotels, to COO roles at Gold’s Gyms, Planet Fitness franchise groups and now Retro Fitness.
- Scartozzi describes Retro Fitness’ footprint and its “RF21” rebrand aimed at delivering a look and feel that outpaces what members expect from a $24 HVLP membership at 3:10.
- At 4:55, Scartozzi says Retro’s 18-38 sweet spot skews younger and stays longer, driven largely by a post-COVID shift from cardio toward strength and social-media-influenced training trends.
- Scartozzi explains how Retro layers nutrition guidance and mental health resources into the member journey beyond the four walls at 6:40.
- At 9:00, Scartozzi outlines Retro’s tiered membership structure, designed so the top-tier “ultimate” membership sells itself once members see the value stacked into it.
- Scartozzi points to functional training and turf spaces as the biggest facility growth areas, alongside a wave of new recovery offerings like cold plunge, red light therapy and massage chairs at 11:00.
- At 13:30, Scartozzi discusses Retro’s move into specialized training zones to capture demographic-specific demand emerging from social media.
- Scartozzi shares how Retro pushes toward personalization, using tools like front-desk check-ins and twice monthly secret shopper audits to close the gap at 15:10.
- Lastly, at 19:45, Scartozzi shares his top advice for operators: overall member satisfaction is what shapes value perception from the very first visit.
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