Staff Photo by Jenna Walker/Chattanooga Times Free Press
Ben Tate, owner of 9Round studio, instructs Melanie Blanton, right, how properly to punch the speed bag in the studio’s gym.* Name: 9Round fitness and kickboxing gym
* Location: 7550 East Brainerd Road, in the Concord Center
* Products/services: The gym combines a number of boxing and fighting techniques with an intense cardio regimen to help clients get an aerobic, anaerobic and resistance workout, according to owner Ben Tate. The slogan, “get fit, never hit,” refers to the intense routine’s emphasis on punching, kicking and generally training to fight while losing weight and getting in shape simultaneously. There are no specified class times, meaning customers can come in whenever it’s convenient, and a trainer will be there waiting for them. Trainers assist in punching and kicking techniques, and help clients maximize the 30-minute workout.
* Age: Just over two weeks
* Startup investment: $50,000
* Anticipated yearly sales: $160,000
* Target market: “You can be a 34-year-old new mom who is trying to lose baby weight or a 60-year-old athlete who’s looking to get back into shape,” Tate said. “It’s really for everybody.”
* Biggest hurdle: Finding the perfect location was the hardest part, he said, with options on the North Shore, in Ooltewah and Hixson, but East Brainerd finally won out.
* Biggest reward: Seeing the satisfaction on customers’ faces when they get a really good workout.
* Challenges in the future: Finding the right people to run the individual locations as the franchise grows.
* Lesson learned: Tate did much of the work himself, a decision he regrets. “It takes a lot of time,” he said. “I’d contract it out if I could do it again.”
* Five-year goal: To expand to at least three locations around the Chattanooga area.
* Contact: 475-6805, Monday through Friday 9 to 8, Saturday 9 to 1.