Colonnades West, where Pvolve Short Pump will slot in this fall. (Jackie DiBartolomeo photo)
A local daycare franchisee is stretching his holdings in the area by bringing a new-to-Richmond fitness brand to Short Pump.
Vikas Kapila is currently underway on the buildout of the region’s first Pvolve, a New York-based gym chain that offers low-impact workouts.
Kapila’s studio is slated to open in September in a recently leased 1,800-square-foot space at 10941 W. Broad St. in the Colonnades West Shopping Center.
Kapila and his wife are also the forces behind the Creative World School franchise in Henrico County’s Twin Hickory area. Construction on the school building is currently underway and set to open sometime next year.
In the meantime, Kapila has turned his sights set on Pvolve.
Kapila, who hails originally from India, moved to Richmond in the late 1990s. He also currently works at local business consulting firm Enterprise Agility Consulting alongside his franchise work.
He told BizSense that his interest in pursuing a fitness franchise started during the COVID-19 pandemic, when he began focusing more on fitness and lost around 20 pounds.
“I started going to the gym two or three days per week. That told me, hey, if I want to go into franchising, why not invest in something that I enjoy,” Kapila said.
Looking at fitness franchises that had not yet been introduced to the Richmond market, Kapila stumbled upon Pvolve.
Vikas Kapila
Founded by Rachel Katzman in 2017 and headquartered in New York City, Pvolve has around 50 studios in the U.S. and Canada, including one other Virginia location in Tysons.
Kapila said he liked the brand for its classes and its method, which is a low-intensity, typically 50-minute group class that combine elements of Pilates, physical therapy and resistance training.
Founding memberships at Pvolve Short Pump range from $139 to $179 per month, with a preview class credit for $15.
Kapila said he chose to put his Pvolve franchise location in Short Pump for the area’s high foot traffic and its centrality in the West End. Pvolve Short Pump will be adjacent to tenants such as PGA Tour Superstore, Ross Dress for Less and Marshall’s.
Kapila said the space was previously occupied by offices.
Pvolve Short Pump will have two studios: one for one-on-one and small group training and one for larger groups of up to 21 people. As is typical with Pvolve locations, the space will also have a “beauty bar” area with complimentary products for people to touch up their appearance after completing a class.
Kapila said he hopes to host some preview classes in the space in mid-August and have a grand opening sometime in September.
Kapila and his wife are the franchisees on the project, and currently have a team of three “wellness advisors” working with them to set curriculum, as well as five trainers signed on.
A pop-up class for Pvolve Short Pump. (Courtesy Pvolve Short Pump)
As part of his Pvolve franchise deal, Kapila has the rights to open two more locations in the area. He said if Pvolve Short Pump is successful, he will look to add locations possibly in the Fan or Scott’s Addition and on the Southside.
As Kapila works on Pvolve Short Pump, it is still full steam ahead on his Creative World School. The exterior work on the new-construction, 10,000-square-foot building is complete, with interior work set to begin shortly. He hopes to open enrollment for the school in September.
Elsewhere in the local fitness scene, Niche Pilates Studio recently opened a companion strength training gym next to its studio in the Fan, while the local franchisees of gym chain Burn Boot Camp have signed on for space at a soon-to-be-redeveloped former Family Dollar store in Forest Hill.
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