Orangetheory ‘Zees: ‘We Don’t Feel Like Anyone Competes With Us’
Orangetheory area reps (left to right) Jim Potesta and Marty Reichenthal with CEO Dave Long inside their Sawyer Heights studio in Houston, Texas, where they plan to develop 25 locations.
Orangetheory Fitness tops this year’s Franchise Times Fast & Serious list, its 218 percent unit increase over the past three years evidence of CEO Dave Long’s smart growth strategies.
One of those strategies (read the full story here) is a commitment to the area representative model, which has been key to Orangetheory’s development in numerous markets across the country, including Houston, Texas. That’s where I interviewed Long for the January cover story and had a chance to talk with Jim Potesta and Marty Reichenthal, the area representatives for the greater Houston area and franchise owners of several studios. Reichenthal tried a class while traveling in Florida and decided to bring the concept with him back to Texas, partnering with Potesta with the goal of developing 25 Orangetheory studios in their market.
Reichenthal, who along with Potesta held various executive and development roles with Carrabba’s Italian Grill, said after talking with other Orangetheory ‘zees they “just sort of took the plunge,” and are confident the concept will only continue to expand.
“The corporate team does so much to give us a variety of templates for the workouts and it’s the full package,” said Reichenthal of the instructor-led group fitness franchise where classes include a mix of cardio and strength training.
“We don’t feel like anyone competes with us in this space,” noted Potesta. “Our workouts are so unique, they change every day. … It covers every level of fitness. We have members in their 70s, it’s not just the elite, premier athlete.”
When Potesta and Reichenthal opened their first studio in 2014 theirs was No. 65 in the system; today that number is more than 800.
On the revenue side, Potesta said their locations are seeing impressive numbers. “We’re exceeding what our original model was,” he said, and improved reporting and studio analytics tools provide insight into workout traffic and marketing opportunities.
“One of the core values of the company is innovation, and they’ve definitely made that a priority.”
Tom Kaiser is senior editor of Franchise Times. He can be reached at 612.767.3209, or send story ideas to 
Beth Ewen is editor-in-chief of Franchise Times. She can be reached at 612.767.3212, or send story ideas to 
Nicholas Upton is restaurants editor at Franchise Times. He can be reached at 612.767.3226, or send story ideas to 
Laura Michaels is managing editor of Franchise Times. She can be reached at 612.767.3210, or send story ideas to 
Mary Jo Larson is the publisher of Franchise Times Magazine and the Restaurant Finance Monitor. You can find her on Twitter at
