Kendra Bylsma spent the last three years building her fitness coaching business, all the while saving money to open her own studio someday. That "someday" comes in early January 2012 when she'll open the doors to a new 2,500-square-foot fitness center in the newly reopened Kingsley Building, a former warehouse in Grand Rapids' Eastown.
Allegro Coaching, a home-based business that operates onsite fitness programs for area corporations and public fitness sessions in local parks, will continue those programs. But Bylsma says the new studio, a renovated retail bay at 1422 Robinson Rd., adds another element for clients.
"I want it to feel warm and comfortable, not like a big gym with bulky equipment," Bylsma says. So she hired Sapak Interiors to design it using warm woods and cabinetry divided among spaces that include conversation areas and open workout rooms.
DeGraaf Interiors is handling the installation, with the buildout by
Bazzani Associates.
"We'll have a shake bar that offers
Shakeology nutritional shakes, so people can sit down after their workout and meet with friends," Bylsma says. "I want that space to really feel like a conversational space to hang out in."
Bylsma will invest some $35,000 in the studio, which will offer several fitness and personal coaching plans including an Urban Boot Camp and an Urban Class Pass. The boot camp offers and eight-week class where participants can choose to work out once a week ($79), twice a week ($149), or more ($199). The class pass offers eight weeks with a choice of fitness regimens: boxing training, Pilates-based training or
TRX suspension training.
"Our first core value is to have fun," Bylsma says. "I think of the Allegro Coaching studio as a mesh between a fun little boutique and the culture of fitness."
Bylsma plans to hire more fitness coaches, but will open the studio with herself and one additional coach on staff. Classes begin Jan. 8, 2012.
Source: Kendra Bylsma, Allegro Coaching; Jen Huizenga, J Studio Designs
Writer: Deborah Johnson Wood, Development News Editor
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