Charlotte co-working brand Hygge expands into fitness

Entrepreneur Garrett Tichy started Hygge in 2015 as a hub for social innovation and small business growth. Over the years, the co-working space has been a home to local businesses like Skillpop, the dog-walking company Skipper, and the marketing and production company and Littlefield Co.

Now, Tichy wants to provide the same type of shared space for independent fitness instructors. To do that, Hygge is in the midst of renovating the other half of its Remount Road location. It’ll house a large group fitness room, two smaller training rooms, and two small studios for activities like yoga and weightlifting.

Independent fitness coaches can rent the space to conduct their own classes, but Hygge will host classes as well.

The goal is to open April 1, Tichy said.

Think of Hygge Wellness as the fitness version of Salon Lofts, which rents individual spaces to licensed beauty professionals.

“The same way we give people the space to build a business over there,” Tichy said on a recent tour of the new fitness studios, gesturing to his established co-working space on the other side of the building.

“I want to lower the bar for wellness entrepreneurs.”

The new workout space will be available to all Hygge members for a monthly rate of $35. Non-Hygge members can get their first week free and their first month for a discounted rate of $69. It’s $99 per month after that, according to Hygge. The drop-in rate for classes is $20 for non-members.

Membership includes unlimited internal training classes and yoga classes, discounts on massages and other wellness services, and for non-Hygge members, daily access to Hygge co-working spaces. It also includes a membership to SweatNet, a fitness app that provides an online community, events, nutrition tips, and streamed classes to users.

Additionally, fitness instructors can rent the space to conduct their own classes for $20-$35 per hour.

A number of programs will set up shop within Hygge Wellness, including STRONG(her) 360, a mind/body pregnancy and postpartum program run by Jamie Eastley. Eastley also oversees all of the new Hygge Wellness.

“Hygge is the brand that facilitates all of this, but it’s space,” Tichy said. “It’s how we use and leverage all of these amazing, talented people to build something cool.”