Seattle-Based Sasquatch Strength Announces North American Expansion Plan

The brand currently has three corporate-owned locations in the Seattle metro area in Redmond, Sammamish, and Issaquah, with their first franchise location opening in Bellevue in July. Additionally, Sasquatch Strength has already signed deals to open a gym in Kirkland, and also its first out-of-state location in Orlando later this year. Over the next 12 months, Sasquatch Strength expects to sell 14 units total and hit 100 units sold in the next three to five years.

The brand is currently eyeing multi-unit, area development and master franchise opportunities in prime markets throughout North America.

Gym chains across the country have furloughed employees and closed locations, but Sasquatch Strength committed to keep all staff employed while continuing to provide services for the fitness community and has retained over 95 percent of its members amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Over the past few months, the brand transformed its business model to accommodate the stay at home order and launched the “Sasquatch @Home,” initiative, which offered resources for anyone, including non-members, to stay in shape while the gyms were closed. The free online program offered six to eight daily classes on Zoom and Facebook Live for participants to stay in shape during the crisis.

Sasquatch even allowed members to borrow equipment so they were able to maintain their fitness.

Now that King County has officially entered Phase 2, Sasquatch Strength’s locations have reopened with an adjusted class schedule, contactless registration, health screenings for members and staff, and more. During each class, members are designated their own space, 6 feet apart from each other, with sanitized equipment individually laid out for their use only. After every class, there is a 10-minute transition period where members are dismissed one at a time followed by a 30-minute disinfecting procedure to prepare the space for the next class.

Each class accommodates 5 members in compliance with CDC, local and state guidelines.

“Despite the devastating effects of COVID-19 in our home market of Seattle, we quickly adapted and have remained successful as a result of our passionate and close-knit community,” said CEO and Founder Isaac Vaisberg. “We are coming out of this as a stronger brand and look forward to expanding our community to people in new cities throughout North America.”

The boutique gym prides itself on delivering individualized services to members, while providing the support, operations, marketing, technology, and best practices that many larger systems lack, to franchisees. Sasquatch Strength is not interested in simply putting members through a workout and sending them on their way, but specializes in teaching members how to take responsibility for their own fitness. With limited class sizes, trainers can offer individual attention to members to structure their experience around the member’s personal needs.

“Our goal is to teach members so much that they can leave the gym, but treat them so well that they want to stay,” added Vaisberg. “The fitness industry may be growing, but you never see concepts out there that are focused on purpose-based programming. We are not a limited or trendy fitness class that only focuses on one type of work out; we are committed to the long-term benefits that our members are looking to achieve.”

With a hands-on supportive franchise system, Sasquatch Strength is looking for franchise partners who exemplify the brand’s values in education, community, and making a difference in peoples’ lives. The brand states that its passion to drive fitness education forward creates a unique and powerful relationship between franchisor and franchisee. Including a franchise fee of $40,000, the overall investment cost to open a Sasquatch Strength is between $181,000 and $281,000.

Founded in 2014 and franchising since 2018, Sasquatch Strength is a Washington-based fitness concept focusing on educating members for life, rather than giving them a workout and sending them home. The brand was founded when CEO Isaac Vaisberg found himself wanting to join the fitness industry, yet couldn’t find a gym that provided purpose-based programming. Sasquatch Strength prides itself on unique fitness programs that are personalized to help members reach their goals.

Today, there are three open locations in Washington with three in various stages of development throughout Washington and Florida.