Industry Veteran Brings First Workout Anytime Franchise to Hickory, North Carolina

Chris Grove, a Charlotte resident and multi-unit owner of Workout Anytime, has brought the first 24-hour, seven-day-a-week fitness concept to Hickory, North Carolina.

Grove believes that now more than ever Americans are choosing to put their health and wellness first. He has worked in the fitness industry throughout his entire professional career and doesn’t plan on leaving anytime soon.

Set to open by mid-September, the Hickory Workout Anytime location will be the first in the area to bring a high-quality fitness experience at an affordable price to the community. With plans to continue to grow with the brand, Grove’s recently purchased five locations and expects to open another before the end of this year.

Chris Grove has been in the fitness industry since he was 20. He started as a personal trainer, a sales manager, and a district general manager at fitness clubs like The Rush Fitness Complex and Peak Fitness prior to franchising with Workout Anytime.

Grove initially found out about franchising through a regional manager who decided to franchise his own club and watched the great success he was having. He started researching various franchise opportunities in the fitness industry, looking at multiple brands in the industry. When he stumbled upon Workout Anytime, he fell in love with the model.

Grove chose franchising over starting his own business because he felt the support that he would have as a franchisee. He was intrigued by CEO Steve Strickland’s goals of where he wanted to take the franchise. Grove saw the potential in the longevity of this opportunity to have eight to ten clubs across North Carolina.

Grove looked at other health and fitness brands before choosing Workout Anytime. He was attracted to the model’s simplicity with low overhead and the support from the corporate team. Workout Anytime has everything a club member needs, from 24-hour offering to high-quality equipment and personal training services at an affordable price.

COVID-19 hasn’t had an impact on delaying the opening of the Hickory location. In fact, it has been a driving factor to get the location open and ready to serve the public. The governor did issue a mandate closing health clubs, but with a doctor’s recommendation, members are still able to exercise as needed with extra precautions in place at Workout Anytime locations.

Grove’s dreams with the business include opening two or three clubs per year with a long-term goal of opening seven to ten clubs throughout North Carolina. He recently purchased five locations and plans to open another by the end of this year.

Grove sees his business providing value to Hickory by offering a high-quality fitness experience at an affordable price. He believes that health will be a huge priority from here on out, and he is excited to bring this offering to the Hickory community.

Grove advises others looking at buying a franchise to research brands thoroughly. He recommends considering franchising first and looking into Workout Anytime, which has a simple model and tremendous support from corporate.

In his personal time, Grove enjoys hanging out with his wife and two boys. They enjoy traveling, going to the pool, and playing golf.