--- title: "From Starbucks Baristas to Franchise Owners with Workout Anytime" url: https://burnaze.com/article/298751ec-8734-4a9a-b018-9eec07e01430 source: "1851 Franchise" original_url: https://1851franchise.com/from-starbucks-baristas-to-franchise-owners-with-workout-anytime-2722911 category: "Gym & HVLP" industry: "Fitness" segment: "Gym & HVLP" published: 2023-07-24T15:10:00.000Z modified: 2026-11-01T01:12:18.716Z image: https://newimage.1851franchise.com/cdn-cgi/image/quality=85,format=webp,width=1280,height=720/story/featureImage/f91931ad818f7d3c89c7aa0392cb75184524.jpg --- # From Starbucks Baristas to Franchise Owners with Workout Anytime **TL;DR:** Ryan Stevens and Tracy Toomer, former Starbucks baristas, are becoming franchise owners with Workout Anytime in Carrollton. They aim to provide a new and needed service to the community, focusing on helping people live their best lives through exercise. *originally published in 1851 Franchise on 2023-07-24. [Read the original](https://1851franchise.com/from-starbucks-baristas-to-franchise-owners-with-workout-anytime-2722911).* ## Key facts - Ryan Stevens and Tracy Toomer own a Workout Anytime franchise - The duo met while working at Starbucks - They aim to create a sustainable business model ## Story Ryan Stevens and Tracy Toomer first met working at Starbucks. They both joined the team as baristas and slowly worked their way up to positions overseeing the operations of the business. However, the two also shared a passion for entrepreneurship. Both Stevens and Toomer identify that feeling cropping up as early as their teen years. After chatting with a business friend about additional opportunities, Toomer learned of Workout Anytime , the 190-unit fitness concept, and began considering investing. In addition to the strong business model and involved leadership team, the duo says they were sold on the idea of providing something new — and much needed — to the people of Carrollton. Now, they are on track to open their first Workout Anytime at 2722 North Josey Lane later this year. Before franchising, Stevens enlisted in the Navy after graduating high school. He served for 9 years with four years on an aircraft carrier and five years at Naval Training Center Great Lakes where he was in HR Generalist roles. He attended Southern Illinois University while in the Navy. After transitioning out of the Navy, Stevens worked at Northwestern University as Operations Manager Undergraduate Admissions and later at Wendy's International as a General Manager. Stevens had always wanted to own his own business since an early age. He was bitten by the entrepreneurial bug when he was a pre-teen. What led him to Workout Anytime was his friendship with Tracy. They worked together at Starbucks but kept in touch after she left. They were talking through other opportunities within the fitness industry, someone recommended that Tracy look into Workout Anytime. They went to discovery day and fell in love with the leadership of the organization. ## Franchise journey Toomer met Stevens at Starbucks in 2016. They've both had this innate desire since they were younger to be entrepreneurs, and they started to think, “We've run businesses for big corporations. Now this is our time to do it for ourselves and create legacies for ourselves and for our families.” They love and respect their journeys in corporate America so much, but this is another way for them to create an organization that matches with their beliefs and values. Stevens' perception of franchising prior to becoming a franchisee was that it would be an easier road. He learned that franchising would probably be an easier way to develop a brand, build brand awareness, and manage everything from decor to operations. Comparing that to a proven system where it's pretty much set up and turnkey, it's easy to see how franchising may be the smarter way to go. Toomer agrees that the perception of franchising is that the franchise will be completely turnkey. However, not every process, manual, or policy will be there. You may expect to get 75% of the playbook, but the other 25% is on you. It's critical that people understand that because people go into a franchise thinking that 100% is given to them in this way and they'll be told exactly what to do, but that's not always the case. - People need to know when they're thinking of franchising that they need to build a strong team. - They will need their "board of directors" going into it. - It's a common misconception that people who have been in operations for decades know it all. - You don't know it all, and you don't cut corners on a venture like this. - You need to make sure your interests are first. ## Brand vision What made them pick this brand was the opportunity to change lives in profound ways. They can craft a vision so compelling that people would love to join them. They want to help everyone in their lives while being respectful and thoughtful of their homes and families. It's all based on that people-centric focus. Toomer says there are rampant illnesses that plague Black and Brown communities, so this is an important concept that they're bringing to Carrollton. It's centered around helping others — helping them lose weight, reduce inflammation, or reduce the amount of medication someone has to take. But this is not just a gym. For them, this is about the city of Carrollton living their best life and making exercise simply a way of life. Stevens says their big-picture strategy is to get their first location to a place where it's sustainable from a financial standpoint, then they'll work on the second and third clubs. They don't just want to open locations to say they did. They want to be super present and understand and know the families that are members of their clubs. They want to be community leaders. Toomer says they want the Carrollton community to be telling neighboring communities how awesome their gym is to the point that people are asking them to go to the next town over. They want to be the gym where people truly belong and everyone knows everyone's name. ## Entities - 1851 Franchise (publication) - Fitness (sector) - franchise ownership (topic) - brand expansion (topic) - fitness industry (topic) - entrepreneurship (topic) - Wendy's (company) - Starbucks (company) - Workout Anytime (company) --- Originally reported by 1851 Franchise (https://1851franchise.com/from-starbucks-baristas-to-franchise-owners-with-workout-anytime-2722911). Summarized by Burnaze (https://burnaze.com/article/298751ec-8734-4a9a-b018-9eec07e01430).