After years of successes in other industries, Scott McPhail knew immediately that there was something special about Orangetheory Fitness. Captivated by the high-intensity workout studio that was growing exponentially around the country, he and fellow serial entrepreneur Pavel Stuchlik opened a franchise in Kapolei in October 2016.
McPhail first arrived on O‘ahu in 1989 after spending five years as a self-professed ski bum in Colorado. He came to help his older brother run several burgeoning businesses, eventually becoming a prolific franchisee with an estimated 18 Blockbuster Video stores, 62 Starbucks and 32 Jamba Juices on this island alone. “I think the most important thing is to look at the people you’re involved with,” McPhail says. “Look up to them, be mentored by them, learn from them. That’s the key.”
An avid outdoorsman who hikes, swims and paddleboards multiple times a week, McPhail has competed in paddleboard races from Moloka‘i to O‘ahu, and his trips off island often revolve around some kind of physical activity. In late 2015, he heard about the growing franchise Orangetheory Fitness, and shortly after his first few classes on the mainland, he inquired about starting his own studio on O‘ahu.
He reached out to Pavel Stuchlik, a precocious Czech Republic native who was a competitive cyclist in his teens and developed money-making ideas as a means to fund his own professional athletic career. He started by selling bikes online but quickly progressed to flipping houses, giving seminars on healthy living and workouts, hosting a cooking show and creating monthly meal plans for competitive cyclists. In 2011, he moved to O‘ahu after purchasing the franchise rights to Tutti Frutti yogurt and O‘ My Buns for the state.
Within a week of his first OTF class, Stuchlik purchased the developer rights to Georgia in 2013. He opened more than 40 locations in that state before expanding to Nevada, Oregon, New York City, San Francisco and now Hawai‘i. As the area developer for the state of Hawai‘i, Stuchlik has licensed the Kapolei location with McPhail and three other locations in Honolulu (Kapahulu, Kapi‘olani and Kaka‘ako).
“It’s a good business model,” McPhail says. “From the business aspect, that’s what kind of drove me. I love fitness, and I believe in the concept and the workout.”
Orangetheory Fitness started in 2010 in Florida and now boasts more than 625 locations franchised in 47 states alone and even more studios in 16 countries. Propelled by thumping music reminiscent of a night club, members work out in a group setting as they sweat their way through 60 minutes of intervals of cardiovascular and strength training.
McPhail witnesses the results firsthand, as he participates in several classes a week. He has spoken personally with people who no longer have to take heart or blood pressure medications because of their workouts, and he recounts with amazement a woman in class who proudly informed him of her 15-pound weight loss.
These types of tangible results are the reason McPhail is especially proud of opening Orangetheory Fitness in Kapolei. “There’s just a lot of good things happening out there in terms of people’s wellness,” McPhail says. “Bringing this concept to the West Side has really made a big difference in people’s lives. Having this type of workout and this structure and support to get people healthy, that’s a big thing. That’s not just making something up to drive a business. It’s real.”
McPhail and Stuchlik are actively working to open another studio on O‘ahu with Rowland Chaulk, area representative for the Hawai‘i region. Both understand that the fitness industry has suffered through the changing tastes of a fickle population. (Remember those NordicTrack, Tae Bo, Bowflex and ThighMaster commercials?) But they believe Orangetheory Fitness will have a lasting place in the fitness world, driven by the life-changing results of its members.
“It can be very fad-driven, no question about it,” McPhail says of his industry. “But I think high-intensity interval training is here to stay, and it gets results. That’s absolutely why this concept will be around.”
