A fitness concept focused on indoor rowing is coming this spring to San Marco.
Row House, which has more than 300 licensed locations throughout the United States and Canada, will open in late May at 1561 San Marco Blvd., said franchise owner Jessica Eilbeck, also the managing partner.
Hours likely will be 5:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Eilbeck said her group intends to open three Row House studios in the area by spring 2022. In addition to San Marco, the partners are targeting Riverside and Atlantic Beach.
“I chose San Marco, and the other neighborhoods as well, due to its character, its residents and the number of businesses in the area,” she said by email.
“I felt there was a void for cardio-based boutique fitness gyms, especially in the San Marco and Riverside areas.”
Eilbeck, with more than 21 years in business and 16 years as a group fitness instructor, went into partnership in 2020 with Chris Mallett and Tyler Glisson to buy the rights for the three units.
Mallett has more than 26 years of experience owning long-term care facilities and related businesses.
Glisson is an entrepreneur and will continue working as a software engineer until Row House expands to the point he is needed there.
Row House says it began in 2014 in New York City.
“Co-founders and husband/wife team, Eric Von Frohlich and Debra Strougo took the rowing machine out of the corner, and put it front in center,” says therowhouse.com website.
Row House offers six class types with programming “to help you progress throughout the week to avoid plateaus.”
The city is reviewing a permit application for Building Dynamics Inc. to renovate about 2,300 square feet of space for Row House Xponential Fitness Brand at a cost of $150,000.
Plans show 25 rowing machines.
The city also is reviewing a permit application for a sign by Taylor Sign & Design Inc.
Row House is affiliated with Irvine, California-based Xponential Fitness, which owns eight brands that include Pure Barre, CycleBar, Club Pilates and StretchLab.
Eilbeck said she discovered rowing through a CrossFit gym. “I felt very much like rowing is the new spinning and will have a long stay in the fitness market, just as spinning/cycling has,” she said.
“It is a low-impact, high-intensity workout (set to music and lights) that truly anyone from a deconditioned person to an elite athlete can participate in,” she said.
“The rower is an effort-based machine so you get out of it what you put into it.”
The website shows six Florida locations in Sarasota, Clearwater, Wesley Chapel, Oviedo and Winter Park, with Jacksonville coming soon.
The permit plans show the Jacksonville client as RH San Marco LLC, led by Adapt Fitness Holdings LLC, which is managed by the three partners.
The San Marco address formerly was Hanger Prosthetics & Orthotics.