From Customers to Operators: How Two Investors Built a 30-Gym Empire

Griffin Gordon and Kevin Condon weren’t looking to become gym operators. They were parents watching their kids tumble through gymnastics classes at The Little Gym, impressed by the staff’s warmth and the curriculum’s impact on their children. But their experience as satisfied customers planted seeds for something bigger.

Years earlier, these two University of Chicago Booth School of Business alumni had pursued separate paths. Condon co-founded Hidden River Strategic Capital, a Philadelphia-based private equity firm investing in small businesses. Gordon split his time between private equity and running mid-sized companies before founding an investment firm focused specifically on franchisees. When an advisor connected them with Richard Moore, a longtime Little Gym operator whose family had spent nearly three decades building the business, everything aligned.

Moore wanted to grow. His parents were ready to retire. Gordon and Condon saw an opportunity to pair experienced operators with capital and support for expansion. In 2023, they invested in seven North Carolina locations, forming a company called Somersault. Three years later, that footprint has exploded to more than 30 locations with another 10-plus in development, generating nearly $20 million in revenue.

The Appeal of an Established Brand

“The Little Gym is the best brand serving its target age range,” Gordon explains. “There are imitators, but we don’t think they match the quality of its curriculum and operating playbook.”

That conviction didn’t emerge from nowhere. As business investors, both partners recognized what made The Little Gym attractive: a growing market of parents seeking quality child enrichment, strong unit economics when operated well, and a proven system. The franchise has been operating for 50 years, which matters. It means there’s an established playbook, not just a concept.

Condon emphasizes the importance of having a strong franchisor partner. “To invest in franchisees, you need a partnership approach and confidence that the franchisor values that relationship, too.” Their partner, Unleashed Brands, has invested in infrastructure The Little Gym previously lacked: technology, systems, and modern tools for customer acquisition and marketing.

People Make the Difference

Yet Gordon and Condon’s most important realization emerged from actually running the business. “This business is all about people,” Gordon says. “People sometimes hear about The Little Gym and think it sounds simple. It’s a simple business to understand, but a challenging business to operate well.”

The business depends on finding talented staff, training them effectively, and creating career paths that keep them engaged. That might mean moving from teaching into management roles or eventually overseeing multiple locations.

When Condon’s own children attended classes, they’d emerge sweaty and excited, immediately asking to return. That consistency of experience across their 30+ locations didn’t happen by accident. It came from prioritizing curriculum quality, building authentic community connections, and genuinely caring about outcomes for children.

Franchising as a Platform

“When done correctly, franchising should be like buying a small business with the benefit of a national platform,” Gordon notes. “Those two things should work together.”

For entrepreneurs considering franchising, Gordon’s advice is straightforward: contact existing franchisees. “If you’re evaluating a system, start calling owners and learning from them. These are people who have already done what you’re trying to do.”

Condon adds a more philosophical point: “Find something you’re passionate about, particularly if you’ll be the operator. Even if you won’t operate the business yourself, you still need to care about it.”

Their growth trajectory suggests they care deeply. Quadrupling from seven to over 30 locations in three years is aggressive. Doing it again would be even more so, yet Gordon and Condon seem confident. They’ve modernized a 50-year-old brand by layering technology like parent engagement apps over its core curriculum strengths. They’ve built systems that work. And they’ve surrounded themselves with operators who execute.

When three-year-olds leave your gym asking when they can come back, you know you’re onto something worth scaling.

Source: Infeeds.com