The Undefeated Tribe, the biggest Crunch Fitness franchisee in Austin, was created in 2018 by Tony Hartl. Eight years later, in 2026, the brand has a presence in five states, including Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Minnesota, and Missouri.
What Now Austin spoke with Chief Brand Officer Brooke Chavez, who shared the franchise group’s mid-term goals and strategy. Undefeated is planning to open 100 gyms by 2028 and is actively scouting Southeast Austin, along with the city’s far north and far west submarkets, as priority areas for its next wave of growth, and the brand is now on the hunt for the right real estate to bring those gyms to life.
Chavez said the group already holds nearly 200 territory licenses across its five-state footprint. “We own the areas, we just have to find the spaces,” she said.
According to Chavez, by the end of 2026, Crunch will have 12 locations across the Austin area, after opening six new gyms this year alone. She laid out the sequence directly: North Austin is next, set to open this fall, followed immediately by Georgetown, with Leander closing out the year in late fall. “We have three coming up pretty quickly,” she said.
The Leveraging Strategy
The strategy follows a deliberate sequence, Chavez said: saturate the markets where the brand already operates before chasing new territory. “Our strategy is to find locations where we are in the cities that we’re at already,” she told What Now Austin. “But if there’s great locations or new cities that score well, we’re definitely interested in looking at that.”
That approach has turned The Undefeated Tribe into one of Crunch’s fastest-growing franchise groups nationally. Started in Austin in 2018, the group recently celebrated the opening of its 50th Crunch location and has said it is targeting 100 locations across Texas, Oklahoma, Minnesota, New Mexico, and Missouri.
What Now has tracked The Undefeated Tribe’s Texas expansion closely in recent months. What Now Austin reported on a South Austin location along the I-35 corridor and later covered a new Hutto gym in fast-growing Williamson County.
The economics behind that growth come down to disciplined site selection: gyms of more than 40,000 square feet with ample parking, strong household density within a five-mile radius or 15-minute drive time, population growth, and, as counterintuitive as it may sound, strong competitor performance nearby, which Chavez treats as validation rather than a warning sign.
The Austin Situation
Chavez said Austin’s identity and its “fun, edgy, high energy,” has made it one of the brand’s top-priority markets nationally, as the company pushes toward a goal of 100 total locations by 2028, a target she expects to surpass.
Each new Austin club typically creates 80 to 120 jobs during opening, scaling down to a standing team of roughly 100 once the 24/7 gym is fully operational, Chavez said.
Chavez pointed to reformer Pilates as an example of how the brand is repositioning what “affordable” fitness includes. “Usually that’s a very boutique amenity where people pay hundreds of dollars a month, and now it’s included with our brand,” she said, alongside hot yoga, hot Pilates, and contrast therapy , a frost locker, infrared sauna, and red light therapy, all bundled into memberships that start “as low as $9.99 a month.”
Asked what she wants the Austin community to know as Crunch continues expanding into new pockets of the city, Chavez pointed to the brand’s broader mission. “Our goal is to not just bring a new business to the community, but to be part of the community and be their partners in their wellness journey,” she said.
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