Following the opening of his fifth Energie Fitness gym in Tallaght, Dublin, we sat down with franchisee Narinder Kaushal to reflect on his journey into franchising, the lessons he’s learned along the way, and what it takes to successfully build and scale a multi-site gym business. From his early days in wholesale and retail to becoming a leading Energie Fitness multi-site franchisee, Narinder shares insight into the realities of business ownership, the importance of choosing the right model and investing into marketing, and how he has grown a portfolio of thriving clubs.

What were you doing before joining Energie Fitness, and what attracted you to the opportunity?

I originally came to Ireland in 2002 to study a business degree, and that’s really where my journey started. After graduating, I got into wholesale and worked with a company supplying major retailers like Tesco. I started out in the warehouse, even working on the tills, and within six months I had worked my way up to a sales representative role.

I stayed in that industry for about 10 years and genuinely enjoyed it, but when my daughter was born, I wanted more flexibility to manage my own time.

I had always had an interest in business, so I decided to take the leap. I even got a taxi licence as a backup plan while figuring things out. Shortly after, I found a franchise opportunity with Londis, and opened my first convenience store in 2012, followed by a second in 2013.

It was a great learning experience, but it came with its challenges. Running convenience stores means dealing with a huge amount of stock management, constant ordering, and unfortunately issues like theft. There’s also a lot of cash involved in that type of business, and I quickly realised that if I wanted to scale, I needed a model that was more streamlined and less reliant on cash handling.

A friend of mine opened an Anytime Fitness gym in Manchester, and I visited him for the opening. He showed me his five-year projections, and I loved the model. It was simple - direct debits, predictable income, and clear profitability.

When I came back, I explored several gym brands, including Energie Fitness, Snap Fitness, and Anytime Fitness. I chose Energie Fitness because their brand and marketing was very strong.

I opened my first Energie Fitness club in 2017 in Clarehall, and it became – and remains - one of the best-performing clubs in Ireland.

How has your business developed since opening your first club, and in what ways has it exceeded your expectations?

I’ve grown from one club to five, which shows significant development. It has far exceeded my expectations.

For me, it’s all about understanding the formula. Once you understand it, you can repeat it successfully. With my first club, Clarehall, I put in maximum marketing and presale effort - distributing flyers at traffic lights, local community outreach, everything. We collected nearly 1,000 leads before opening.

Over time, I learned that success isn’t just about having the most members - it’s about yield per member.

For example, when I acquired the Dublin 8 club from a previous franchisee, it had around 700 members. Now it has about 1,200–1,300 members, but at a much higher yield, making it very profitable.

I applied the same approach in my Carlow site - focusing just only on increasing member numbers and more on increasing membership prices and overall value, hence more turnover.

What have been the biggest drivers of success in your clubs?

Sales and marketing are my biggest drivers.

From the beginning, I followed the Energie Fitness pre-sale system exactly. If the plan said to distribute 20,000–40,000 flyers and spend €5,000 on digital marketing, I did it fully. Some people could try to cut costs, but that doesn’t work. You get back what you put in.

Your business needs to be everywhere - Google Ads, social media, flyers, posters, shopping centres etc.

Brand awareness and sales don’t happen from one touchpoint - it takes multiple exposures before someone signs up.

How repeatable have you found the Energie Fitness model as you’ve scaled into multiple locations?

It’s a very repeatable model. It’s simple and works - once you understand it, you can apply it to every location.

The brand is strong, and the club environment has a vibrant, welcoming feel. That consistency and community-led approach make scaling much easier.

What gave you the confidence to expand beyond your first club?

My first club was very successful, which gave me the confidence to expand.

Compared to other businesses, the gym model is quite straightforward. There are fewer moving parts, and once you follow the system, it works very well.

The biggest challenge for me is actually finding the right location - not running the business itself.

What would you say to a franchisee who is considering opening an additional location?

It’s a no-brainer if you follow the system.

You need to believe in the brand and commit fully - especially in the first six months. A manager can run the club later, but in the beginning, the owner must be fully involved.

What advantages has the Energie Fitness model given you that would be difficult to replicate independently?

The biggest advantage is brand awareness and support.

If you go independent, you’re starting from scratch. With Energie Fitness, you get a full package - marketing tools, systems, and proven strategies.

For example, during COVID, Energie Fitness introduced flexible membership options and digital experiences that allowed members to continue supporting clubs. Many members chose to keep paying, which helped us break even or even make a profit - while independent gyms struggled.

What specific support from Energie Fitness HQ has had the greatest impact on your business performance?

For me, Marketing support is the biggest factor.

The branding, messaging, signage, and campaigns are top quality and not easy to replicate independently. There’s also strong operational support - you can pick up the phone to your dedicated performance manager and get help quickly.  

What has given you the confidence to continue investing and expanding within the Energie network?

The return on investment is very strong.

Typically, I get my investment back within 18–24 months, which is excellent compared to other businesses.

How has building multiple clubs supported your personal and lifestyle goals?

The lifestyle is great and I love my job. The first six months opening or acquiring a new gym requires a lot of effort and focus, but after that, the business starts to run itself. I can work flexible hours, take holidays when I like, and even run operations remotely.

What are your ambitions for the next 3–5 years within Energie Fitness?

My goal is to scale faster.

Previously, I was opening one club every one to two years. Now, I want to open two clubs per year if possible.

In one sentence, what makes Energie Fitness a strong platform for building a multi-site business?

It’s the complete package - marketing, systems, support, and execution - all in one.