FARGO — Downtown Fargo’s Fly Fitness is taking off and opening a second location in south Fargo.
Studio director Michelle Cody told InForum that the second location at 4674 40th Ave. S. in the Osgood Townsite Centre has been in the works for over a year as Fly has eyed expansion. “We knew we wanted to be in south Fargo or close to West Fargo,” she said Tuesday, Jan. 4.
The downtown location, which opened in 2019 at 235 Roberts St. N. , has attracted clients throughout the Fargo-Moorhead area. It’s been especially convenient for northside residents, but not so much for those on the metro area’s growing southside, Cody explained. “We love our downtown location and we’re serving a pretty specific side of town,” she said.
South Fargo and West Fargo residents often relayed their desire for something closer to home. “It was definitely obvious that we could do pretty well on that side of town and reach a different demographic or population of people,” Cody continued.
It helps too that they have the backing of a tried and true format. The original Fly in Lincoln, Neb. has both a downtown and residential location, Cody said. “They’ve done well with both, so we have a model at least we can kind of gauge what that looks like,” she remarked. “It just made sense for us to do the same.”
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Cody is hoping to have the new Osgood location open in early April, with construction set to begin in short order. Members will have access to either location and the offerings will be the same at both.
Bouncing back
Fly Fitness was heavily impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and its restrictions, Cody said.
Since restrictions have been curtailed, however, business has rebounded. “It was a slow comeback over the last year given the restrictions that we were under,” she commented. “Once those were lifted and people felt comfortable coming back to the gym in groups, we saw a real upswing and people wanting and needing community.”
Clients craved the personal connection and accountability which group fitness offers. Simply put, working out alone in the basement “wasn’t quite cutting it anymore” for Fly’s disciples, Cody explained.
Fly is a “boutique-style” gym, Cody said, featuring rhythm-based cycling, barre, yoga classes, high-intensity interval training and a new offering called “flyformer” a Pilates-style workout.
All workouts are in a group setting, taking place at different times throughout the day and on weekends. Workouts are either 30, 45 or 60 minutes. Their most popular offering is a fusion session, which combines 30 minutes of cycling with another style of exercise.
With a goal of expanding quickly, Fly has begun franchising, Cody said. It could mean even more locations are on the horizon for Fargo. “Ultimately that would be the goal as Fargo continues to grow south,” she said.
The budding area south of 52nd Ave. S. as well as Horace were two locations Fly had considered for its second studio. Should even more studios open, the area would still be on the table. “That would definitely be another option for us,” she said.
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