Dynamic Couple Unveils Innovative Health and Wellness Opportunity
Josh and Kaitie Biggs (above) understand the transformative power of hard work, goal-setting and persistence. As longtime health and fitness enthusiasts, the entrepreneurial couple recently added franchising to their repertoire with Fuel Fortress, a luxury fitness and custom meal prep brand.
Fuel Fortress, headquartered in Bowling Green, Ky., offers custom-branded equipment “designed for lifters by lifters,” personal training and classes for every fitness level, private men’s and women’s saunas, and recovery options including cold plunges, plus red-light and cupping therapy. Classes include cardio kickboxing and mixed martial arts.
Fuel Nutrition, the brand’s tailored meal prep component, offers healthy fresh-made meals prepared on-site and available to members and non-members for pickup and delivery. Kaitie, who has a bachelor’s degree in biology, created the recipes with correctly proportioned macronutrients (protein, carbohydrates and fats) for optimal health and performance.
An Innovative Health and Wellness Opportunity
“We wanted to target a niche audience,” Kaitie says. “There are different gym business models. Some go for more volume and try to appeal to everybody. But we wanted a boutique-style approach where we targeted a specific audience, so we have a specific niche in the market.”
The Fuel brand targets clients aged 16-28, Josh says. “That demographic loves to work out. They’re in the gym all the time. It’s more popular than ever. It’s more popular on social media. So, we created a social media-driven environment for them to post on, which leads to a lot of organic content for us as well,” he says.
Fuel Fortress is distinctive among competitors. Open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, Fuel Fortress has better equipment, more amenities and superior customer service, as well as an environment that’s motivational, clean and more upscale than the big-box gyms, he says.
Another way Fuel Fortress stands out: “We’re a very, very community-oriented gym,” Kaitie says, explaining that every staff member is expected to get to know each member, which contributes to client retention and loyalty. “When you come in and you’re greeted by your name, and we know what’s going on in your personal life, this helps foster a sense of community. The gym becomes a refuge for people to come and better themselves with a community of like-minded people who aren’t going to judge them. They’re here just trying to make themselves better than they were yesterday, so that’s pretty awesome.”
A Power Couple Combines Their Strengths
Josh and Kaitie have extensive fitness backgrounds. Both were competitive bodybuilders. He also was into martial arts, and she had experience working in gyms. In 2017, Josh opened a health supplement store in Tennessee, and when he and Kaitie met about a year later and married, they added meal prep to the business, “making it a one-stop fitness shop,” Josh says.
“We were rocking and rolling, really growing the brand through meal prep and supplementation,” Kaitie says. “And we realized there was one missing aspect to our Fuel brand, and that was a facility to come work out in. It was the final puzzle piece for Fuel.”
In addition to health and fitness, the couple shared an interest in entrepreneurship, developing an extensive commercial and residential real estate portfolio. When the Bowling Green property came up for sale in 2022, they bought it and launched Fuel Fortress.
Increased Demand for Healthy Lifestyles and Convenience
The Covid pandemic had a significant impact on health and fitness club memberships; while lockdowns forced gym closures, consumers grew more focused on fitness and adopting healthier lifestyles, resulting in pent-up demand. These factors contributed to growth in the global health and fitness club market, which was projected to grow from $112.17 billion in 2023 to $202.78 by 2030, exhibiting a compound annual growth rate of 8.83%, according to Fortune Business Insights.
Also during the pandemic, prepared meals became more popular, and that trend has only accelerated as consumers with hectic schedules desire convenience and food choices providing quality, flavor and nutrition. The global prepared meals market size was valued at $166.62 billion in 2023 and is projected to increase at a compound annual growth rate of 7.02% to $305.68 billion by 2023, Fortune Business Insights reports.
Investors Drive Fuel Fortress Franchise Expansion
After opening their Fuel Fortress gym, the Biggs received inquiries from potential investors, which prompted them to take the leap into franchising.
“We had been chewing on the idea of franchising for a few months because we wanted to expand our brand and what we offer into other communities,” Kaitie says. “Almost all of our franchising leads have been organic, people who approach us and want to be a part of the brand, invest in it and open their own.”
The first Fuel Fortress franchise opened in Franklin, Ky., in early 2023. The investor was a banker with previous gym management experience. A second franchise location, in Clarksville, Tenn., is under construction, and a lease has been executed for a third in Lexington, Ky. The Biggs are working on a fourth franchise partnership in Lebanon, Tenn. Their goal is to have a total of 10 locations, including their Bowling Green operation, within the next 18 months, Josh says.
The Ideal Franchise Partnership
Fuel Fortress franchises may be owner-operated or semi-absentee models if the owner has a good manager, the Biggs say. Franchisees may or may not opt for the Fuel Nutrition meals component, which would require on-site preparation with Fuel Fortress recipes.
Those interested in the health and wellness opportunity should be leaders, problem-solvers and motivated individuals, Josh says. “And they need to have a passion for fitness. That helps when you’re creating a community. If you are in love with it, people can sense that.”
Franchisees will receive training in Fuel Fortress software systems and they will spend a few days shadowing experienced managers. “They’ll have my phone number and they can communicate with me anytime if they have questions,” Josh says.
The Biggs say they’re open to input from their franchisees. “We’re not under the impression that we have all the right ideas, so we can evolve and grow together with their ideas, as well,” Josh says.
The couple is excited to see the evolution. “I get excited for my franchisees because this gives them the opportunity, the financial freedom and the ability to work for themselves and to provide for their own households,” Kaitie says. “It’s exciting to see them thrive in an environment where they’re not just working the regular 9-5.”
For more information about the Fuel Fortress franchise opportunity, visit https://www.fuelfortress.com/franchise-opportunities.
