16 Jan Orange Theory Fitness to Open a New Location in Downtown Wichita
Local Orangetheory Fitness franchise owners Jacob Wayman and Regan Carlstrom-Wayman had been looking for a potential downtown Wichita location for a year.
Then a phone call from Thrive Restaurant Group set the table for the husband and wife’s third studio, at Naftzger Park with a targeted mid-to-late May opening.
Jacob Wayman said he got that call last year when Thrive planned to move its Peace, Love & Pie business out of the ground-floor Spaghetti Works District space and knew that Wayman had been on the hunt.
“Honestly, this was my first choice,” Wayman said. “Timing is everything.”
Wayman said he and his team are thrilled to be a part of adding to what the city had previously envisioned — including outdoor exercise classes — with a revitalized Naftzger Park.
“It’s activating Naftzger Park to what they wanted it to become,” he said. “We want to be a part of that.”
The third Wichita studio will open in 3,600 square feet that will combine the former Peace, Love & Pie location with neighboring available space to its south.
Landmark Commercial Real Estate’s Zach Zerbe represented the landlord on the lease, while Christi Royse and Matt McClure of J.P. Weigand & Sons repped Wayman and Carlstrom-Wayman on the deal.
Construction is set to begin later this month, with Icon Structures serving as general contractor. 3ten Architecture’s Chad Glenn is the architect.
Wayman first announced in November that a new studio would be coming in the spring, highlighting that a downtown location has been a goal since he and Carlstrom-Wayman closed on their purchase of the 1423 N. Webb Road and 2835 N. Maize Road studios in January 2020.
Soon after they took over ownership, there were temporary closings due to government restrictions, but the local franchise bounced back with a strong 2022, and community and member support propelled that early goal to reality, he said.
Preparations for the new studio are ramping up beyond the work on the physical space.
The studio’s team is filling out, with Maddie Bruun (from Orangetheory’s east-side location) now hired as studio manager and Luke Alvarez (from the west-side Orangetheory) set to serve as head coach.
Getting the word out and signing up new members for the 645 E. Douglas studio is now a top priority for the owners, and on Jan. 28, from 3-5 p.m. at Groover Labs, Orangetheory Fitness will be hosting its pre-sales launch party.
And don’t be surprised to see more orange soon — beyond just signage — at the location just north of Intrust Bank Arena.
Wayman said Orangetheory plans to host outdoor classes for members in March and April at Naftzger Park prior to the studio’s opening.
Florida-based Orangetheory Fitness, which combines coaching, science and technology in its approach, has more than 1,500 franchise studios across the U.S. and worldwide. The local Orangetheory team said Wichita is following the approach of other franchises throughout the U.S. in having a downtown location.
The new studio will have 10-12 employees — bringing Orangetheory’s total Wichita employee count to around 30 — and there can be as many as 36 people in class at a time.
Carlstrom-Wayman, who said the new location will have a “dry bar” and additional shower space compared to their current locations, said she believes those new to Orangetheory will be seeing “how tight-knit” its studios are.
“I’m excited to bring another sense of community and another place of health and wellness to downtown Wichita,” she said.
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