Planet Fitness was the top-ranking fitness franchisor on the 2023 Entrepreneur Franchise 500 list, released this month, but Xponential Fitness may have been the biggest winner with more than half of its 10 brands listed.
Planet Fitness ranked No. 28 on this year’s list, down from No. 7 last year. It was followed by F45 Training at No. 29, up from No. 42 last year.
Xponential Fitness’ brands on the list were returning brands Pure Barre (no. 181), Club Pilates (No. 211), CycleBar (No. 370) and StretchLab (No. 397). Xponential brands making their debut were Row House (No. 476) and YogaSix (No. 494).
Club Pilates, Pure Barre, StretchLab, and YogaSix lead their respective modalities – Pilates, barre, assisted stretching, and yoga – as No. 1 in their category.
The four Xponential brands not making the list were dance-based cardio workout brand AKT, treadmill-based cardio and strength training concept STRIDE Fitness; boxing-inspired full-body workout brand Rumble and functional training and strength-based brand BFT.
“Each year, Xponential Fitness continues to raise the bar, thanks to our dedicated franchise partners, world-class boutique fitness offerings, and cutting-edge technologies from XPASS to XPLUS,” said Sarah Luna, President of Xponential Fitness. “Landing over half of our brands on this coveted list is a testament to Xponential’s strength and innovation in the boutique fitness industry. With the incomparable support we provide our franchise partners, combined with the creativity and determination of our entire franchise partner and employee base, we are confident that all of our brands can remain their undeniable category leaders.”
The clubs on the list were ranked as follows:
Planet Fitness No. 28 (ranked No. 7 last year)
F45 Training No. 29 (ranked No. 42 last year)
Crunch No. 39 (ranked No. 43 last year)
Orangetheory Fitness No. 85 (Not ranked last year)
Anytime Fitness No. 91 (ranked No. 86 last year)
The Exercise Coach No. 137 (ranked No. 204 last year)
Pure Barre No. 181 (ranked No. 222 last year)
Club Pilates No. 211 (ranked No. 165 last year)
Burn Boot Camp No. 247 (ranked No. 132 last year)
Gold’s Gym No. 276 (ranked No. 449 last year)
CycleBar No. 370 (ranked No. 496 last year)
Workout Anytime No. 387 (not ranked last year)
StretchLab No. 397 (ranked No. 498 last year)
Stretch Zone No. 405 (not ranked last year)
D1 Training No. 416 (not ranked last year)
Jazzercise No. 425 (ranked No. 427 last year)
RockBox No. 468 (not ranked last year)
Row House No. 476 (not ranked last year)
30 Minute Hit No. 482 (ranked No. 351 last year)
Mayweather Boxing + Fitness No. 484 (not ranked last year)
YogaSix No. 494 (not ranked last year)
In addition to these traditional clubs and studios, other wellness-oriented brands on the list included:
Restore Hyper Wellness No. 78 (ranked No. 152 last year)
True REST Spa No. 472 (ranked No. 499 last year)
Perspire Sauna Studio No. 400 (not ranked last year)
To create the list, Entrepreneur evaluates franchises on costs and fees, size and growth, support, brand strength, and financial strength and stability. Each franchise is given a cumulative score based on an analysis of more than 150 data points, and the 500 franchises with the highest cumulative scores become the Franchise 500 in ranking order.
“The past year underscores the extraordinary opportunities that the franchise industry presents for entrepreneurs of all levels,” says Entrepreneur Editor-in-Chief Jason Feifer. “The companies named to our 44th annual Franchise 500 list represent some of the most innovative, creative, and trusted brands across many industries and highlight what it takes to build the kind of momentum that drives long-lasting success.”