HOTWORX® Surpasses 900 Studios as Infrared Fitness Franchise Closes In on 1,000 Locations

Rapid expansion

The 900-studio milestone marks a year of expansion driven by the brand's owner pipeline, a first-time entry into Alaska and the largest wave of technology development in company history, all leading up to reaching 1,000 open locations.

HOTWORX opened its first studio in 2017. Crossing 900 locations positions the brand to reach 1,000 open studios by spring 2027, roughly a decade since opening the brand’s first location in Oxford, Miss.

Much of that growth has come from inside the system as a majority of HOTWORX franchisees joined the brand as members first, converting from the workout floor to ownership. The company credits this pipeline with producing operators who understand the member experience before they ever sign a franchise agreement.

“Crossing 900 studios and 408,693 members in the same year tells us the model is working at scale,” said Stephen P. Smith, Founder and CEO of HOTWORX. “Most of our owners were members first and they bet on infrared training because they experienced it first-hand and fell in love with the workout. Reaching 1,000 is our next milestone, but the real goal is continuing to make the experience better as we grow.”

New market entries

HOTWORX entered Alaska for the first time in 2026 through a multi-unit development agreement for four studios across the market led by franchisees Tracey Pidge and Ciara Boyce. The first of those studios, in Wasilla, officially opened in August.

The Alaska entry adds to a footprint that has expanded steadily across North America, Europe and the Middle East, with Mexico representing the brand's next international market debut. Additional development opportunities remain available across both established and emerging U.S. markets.

Technology development

2026 has delivered the brand's largest wave of product and technology development to date, much of it centered on the HOTWORX Burn Off App and designed to strengthen the member experience while keeping studio operations lean for owners:

“People are looking for a system that tells them what to do next and why it works,” added Smith. “That is what this year of innovation has been about. TrainingTRAX, INFO ZONE and SCAN24/7 all make the 24-hour studio more self-sufficient for the member and for the franchise owner.”

The brand's growth has drawn a series of national honors this year:

“We have opened a new state, launched the biggest technology upgrade in our history and climbed nearly 40 spots on the Franchise 500, and we still have a quarter of the year in front of us,” said Smith. “The goal is no longer to prove that infrared fitness belongs in the conversation; we’ve done that. It is to define the category outright.”