HOTWORX Surpasses 900 Studios as Infrared Fitness Franchise Closes in on 1,000 Locations

HOTWORX has surpassed 900 open studios worldwide, marking one of the fastest expansions in boutique fitness franchising and putting the brand within striking distance of 1,000 locations. The milestone comes as HOTWORX serves more than 400,000 members across the U.S., Canada, Ireland and Dubai, with studios in development in Mexico and Kenya.

The 900-studio milestone marks a year of expansion driven by the brand’s owner pipeline, a first-time entry into Alaska and the largest wave of technology development in company history, all leading up to reaching 1,000 open locations.

HOTWORX Accelerates Toward 1,000 Locations

HOTWORX opened its first studio in 2017. Crossing 900 locations positions the brand to reach 1,000 open studios by spring 2027, roughly a decade since opening the brand’s first location in Oxford, Mississippi.

Much of that growth has come from inside the system as a majority of HOTWORX franchisees joined the brand as members first, converting from the workout floor to ownership. The company credits this pipeline with producing operators who understand the member experience before they ever sign a franchise agreement.

“Crossing 900 studios and 408,693 members in the same year tells us the model is working at scale,” said Stephen P. Smith, the founder and CEO of HOTWORX. “Most of our owners were members first and they bet on infrared training because they experienced it first-hand and fell in love with the workout. Reaching 1,000 is our next milestone, but the real goal is continuing to make the experience better as we grow.”

Alaska Debut Extends the Map

HOTWORX entered Alaska for the first time in 2026 through a multi-unit development agreement for four studios across the market led by franchisees Tracey Pidge and Ciara Boyce. The first of those studios, in Wasilla, officially opened in August.

The Alaska entry adds to a footprint that has expanded steadily across North America, Europe and the Middle East, with Mexico representing the brand’s next international market debut. Additional development opportunities remain available across both established and emerging U.S. markets.

A Model Built to Scale

2026 has delivered the brand’s largest wave of product and technology development to date, much of it centered on the HOTWORX Burn Off App and designed to strengthen the member experience while keeping studio operations lean for owners:

TrainingTRAX: an AI-powered personal training system launched in April for Sweat Elite members, generating customized 90-day plans built around infrared sauna sessions and FX Zone resistance training.
SCAN24/7: the Square-powered retail system that lets members scan and purchase pro shop merchandise directly in the app, keeping every studio pro shop open around the clock without an attendant.
INFO ZONE: introduced in June as a 24/7 in-app knowledge hub explaining the science behind infrared exercise, recovery, nutrition and performance.
AI Coach Chat and the Burn Rate™ algorithm: always-available guidance paired with a proprietary measurement system that calculates a member’s fitness trajectory based on how efficiently they burn calories over time.
The revised Silent Trainer: an updated virtual coaching experience in the FX Zone as functional training continues to grow in member demand.
“People are looking for a system that tells them what to do next and why it works,” added Smith. “That is what this year of innovation has been about. TrainingTRAX, INFO ZONE and SCAN24/7 all make the 24-hour studio more self-sufficient for the member and for the franchise owner.”

National Recognition

The brand’s growth has drawn a series of national honors this year:

• No. 58 on Entrepreneur’s 2026 Franchise 500— a 37-spot jump from No. 95 in 2025.
• No. 3 fitness franchise and top-ranked boutique fitness brand in Entrepreneur’s inaugural Top 10 Industry Franchise Rankings.
• Debut on the Inc. 5000 at No. 4,100, recognizing the fastest-growing private companies in America.
• Stephen P. Smith named a 2026 Most Admired C-Suite Executive by New Orleans CityBusiness, an honor named in the brand’s home city.

The Road Ahead

“We have opened a new state, launched the biggest technology upgrade in our history and climbed nearly 40 spots on the Franchise 500, and we still have a quarter of the year in front of us,” said Smith. “The goal is no longer to prove that infrared fitness belongs in the conversation; we’ve done that. It is to define the category outright.”