The international kickboxing franchisor closed out last year with an inaugural studio in Barcelona.
9Round, the boutique fitness franchise started by professional kickboxer Shannon Hudson and his wife, Heather, closed out 2019 in style: the brand celebrated the opening of its first studio in Barcelona, Spain, which marks the 20th international market that the franchise has penetrated since launching in 2008.
“Ending this past year on the high note of expanding our international roster to 20 countries worldwide marks a special milestone for our brand,” said Shanon Hudson, founder and CEO. “We have big plans in store for the brand this year, and I look forward to implementing those and identifying new ways we can excel in the coming months.”
2019 was huge for the brand, as it celebrated a total of 104 grand openings (31 of which were outside of the U.S. and Canada), and finalized agreements for future development in Vermont, domestically, and Colombia, Qatar, Indonesia, and Vietnam, internationally.
The first studios in each of these territories are scheduled to open before the close of 2020, so this will no doubt be another bumper year for the kickboxing specialists.
“Along with our minority partner Lift Brands, the organization that is leading 9Round development across Europe, we eagerly awaited the introduction of our fitness model to the people of Spain,” said Hudson. “9Round’s successful opening in Barcelona last month was the ‘cherry on top’ [of] an incredibly impressive year overall for our brand.”
9Round currently operates nearly 800 locations throughout 42 states and 20 countries, including Canada, India, Lebanon, New Zealand, and the United Arab Emirates.
We recently spoke to Shannon ‘The Cannon’ Hudson for the Global Franchise Podcast, about his experience in growing an international franchise brand, and the challenges that come with entering multiple new territories. Make sure to check that out here.
