Chris Murphy, former director of sales at Performance Food Centers, contributed to this article.
Food and beverage service can be an important source of revenue for health clubs, gyms, and studios. In fact, it was the fourth-ranked profit center for multi-purpose health clubs and the third-ranked profit center for fitness-only clubs in IHRSA’s 2019 Profiles of Success. It brought in a median of 3.1% of total revenue for multi-purpose facilities and 3% of total revenue at fitness-only facilities.
Offering made-to-order smoothies, ready-to-drink shakes, and pre-packaged or fresh salads and wraps can be a great way to help your members and customers meet their wellness and nutritional goals post-workout and beyond. If your facility has a larger footprint, a restaurant, cafe, and/or beverage bar can provide even more opportunities to extend the member experience at your facility.
Regardless of if you have offered food and beverages at your facility for years or are just now exploring the idea of selling food or drinks, you’ll want to be sure to follow these best practice guidelines to ensure your operations are being run as successfully as possible.
This article is one in a series of 28 Best Practice Guidelines for Operating a Fitness Facility.
When it comes to your fitness facility’s food and beverage strategy, success comes down to four categories:
Ensure Your Menu Supports Your Members’ Wellness Goals
Follow All Applicable Food Service Laws
Make Sure Food & Beverage Offerings Are Visible & Top-of-mind
Pay Attention to Your Food & Beverage Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)