Fitstop Enters Texas as US Expansion Picks Up Speed

The Australia-based franchise with an on-trend functional fitness competition has studios coming to big cities in Texas, following openings in California and Pennsylvania

Houston is about to get a dose of Australia-style strength training. 

Fitstop has signed a multi-site agreement in the city, marking the functional fitness franchise’s first move into Texas and the latest step in a U.S. buildout that includes six locations across California and Pennsylvania, plus a Playa del Rey studio slated to open in Los Angeles next month.

Austin and San Antonio are next in line for the boutique fitness franchise, which operates more than 170 locations across Australia, New Zealand, Singapore and the U.S. 

“The U.S. has always been a strong focus for us, not just because of the scale of the market, but because of how quickly trends around performance training are evolving,” Fitstop founder and CEO Pete Hull said. 

Working together is the name of the game inside its strength-centered studios, a carryover from the brand’s Australian roots, where fitness is naturally social, Hull told Athletech News last year.

Members work in teams of two to four, spotting and supporting one another within a structured strength program that they want to stick with, he explained. 

Hull, a former professional motocross athlete, notes that the U.S. market is ready for something new. They want more than high-intensity sweat sessions or traditional strength programs; they want community and a way to get the results they are after.

“What we’re seeing is a clear shift away from passive wellness and into more structured, results-driven training,” he said. “That is exactly where Fitstop sits. Houston is a significant step in building a U.S. footprint that is both commercially strong and culturally relevant.”

Looking ahead, Fitstop is targeting double-digit growth across its global footprint, including new franchise signings and studio openings, with a strong focus on the U.S.

Fitstop is also leaning into the fitness competition boom. The brand’s Global Games heads to Los Angeles next month after selling out an arena in Singapore.

Later this month, Fitstop will host a franchise discovery webinar for prospective owners.