The Little Gym Franchisees Continue to Re-Invest in 45+ Year Old Brand

Franchise growth

The Little Gym has nearly 400 locations across 31 countries and since January 2022, has signed 70 new domestic franchise agreements – 20 percent of those with existing franchisees who want to expand with the 45+ year-old company.

Some current owners who are choosing to expand their franchise portfolios include:

• Amy Reid, a franchisee in the Boston, MA market who opened her first The Little Gym in 2015 in West Boylston with her husband, Dennis. The couple opened their second gym in October 2022 in Westborough, MA and have since signed a franchise agreement to open a third in Leominster, MA.

• Danielle Sporcic and Lori Testa, two New Jersey franchisees who are teaming up to grow their footprint within the state. Sporcic has owned and operated a gym in Jersey City, NJ since 2018 and Testa in Montclair, NJ. The duo has recently signed an agreement to debut a new gym together in Morris County, NJ.

• Celeste Jauregui, who started as a gym director and then purchased an existing gym in 2022 in Morgan Hill, CA has signed on to expand her footprint by opening a new gym in Hollister, CA.

• Carolyn Huggins, who joined The Little Gym in 2022 with her first gym in Prairie Village, KS recently signed a new agreement to open a second gym in Overland Park, KS.

Brand enhancements

“We love growing with our franchisees and it’s exciting to see several of our long-time, successful franchisees continue to re-invest in our brand and in the vision we have set out for the future,” said Nancy Bigley, Brand President of The Little Gym International. “Our franchisees recognize the ability to build wealth for their families while providing a space in their communities for kids to socialize, play and grow.”

Since joining Unleashed Brands in 2021, The Little Gym has made several enhancements to increase learning and fun for families and help owners more effectually run their businesses. Notable changes include aligning the curriculum with the American Academy of Pediatrics standards, rolling out a revamped gym design and improving business intelligence tools and data dashboards help owners better understand opportunities within their business.

The Little Gym teaches kids social and physical skills appropriate to each stage of childhood by creating opportunities to experience achievement and build self-confidence. At the core of the international franchise’s mission is becoming the foundation of a child’s development that will set them up for success. Through three-dimensional learning including physical activities, cognitive skills and social and emotional learning, the core teaching methods create opportunities for children to experience achievement and build self-confidence.

The Little Gym International is an internationally recognized program that helps children build the developmental skills and confidence needed at each stage of childhood. The very first location was established in 1976 by Robin Wes, an innovative educator with a genuine love for children. The Little Gym International headquartered in Bedford, TX, was formed in 1992 to franchise The Little Gym concept.

Today, The Little Gym International has nearly 400 locations in over 31 countries including the U.S., Canada, China, the United Kingdom, Thailand and more.

Unleashed Brands currently includes portfolio brands Urban Air, Snapology, The Little Gym, XP League, Class 101, and Premier Martial Arts and was founded to curate and grow a portfolio of the most innovative and profitable brands that help kids learn, play and grow. Over the last 10 years, the team at Unleashed Brands has built a proven platform and know-how for scaling businesses focused on serving families. Its mission is to impact the lives of every kid by providing fun, engaging, and inspiring experiences that help them become who they are destined to be.

Own a rewarding business and help children develop skills for life with The Little Gym, the world's largest children's motor skill development franchise.