Fitness studio and spa limits hours, could close location amid ‘regulatory ambiguity’

Upswell is taking particular time to regulate The neighborhood wellness club as founder and CEO Heather Holland calls it has paused selling memberships and is taking a break from regular operations to retool its business We were one of the first to bring this model to Denver and we ve really been living the learning curve the last couple of years reported Holland who opened Upswell s first studio at S Broadway in So we decided to take this intentional pause to build all these learnings into a long-term plan and reopen with the right long-term blueprint Upswell s spots at Blake St in RiNo which opened in July and Clinton St in Central Park which opened in mid- are now open three days a week down from seven They offer saunas and cold plunges compression therapy and infrared therapies three days a week at each location There are also two types of yoga classes and a mat pilates class Holland stated Holland initially declared a total pause in operations two weeks ago But after hearing from numerous members that Upswell should stay running in selected form she commented she went to three days The former chief operating officer for national chain CorePower Yoga hopes to fully reopen early in the new year she disclosed Membership prices will likely be comparable to the a month Upswell charged prior to shutting down It just didn t feel right to sell a membership when you don t know what schedule is gonna be Holland revealed About of our business is the membership model so we try to make membership really accessible But Holland reported Upswell s original South Broadway location is in limbo after closing a month ago due to regulatory ambiguity around its above-ground cold plunge pool She announced there are different requirements in Denver for in-ground and above-ground pools Mostly the temperature was the difference Holland explained There are really clear regulations for degree water and above but there s a lack of clarity around cold water The RiNo studio has an in-ground pool so it doesn t have the same challenges Holland commented The Central Park location also has an above-ground one but is in Aurora whose requirements aren t as in flux as Denver It was hard to interpret what was gonna stick in Denver and we want to go with a model that is clearer she stated Changing the layout of the South Broadway location to allow for an in-ground cold plunge would be a six-figure ordeal Holland mentioned She s in talks with her landlord and expects to decide in the coming months whether to proceed with construction or close the spot entirely Members spend on average about of their time between the cold plunge and sauna so it s an pivotal detail Holland declared If Upswell does stay on South Broadway she commented she might add several coworking space It s reliably been our innovation space and if we reopen that would remain true Holland stated When you re the first mover you have to tackle these challenges to pave a path for everyone else For the other two spots members can expect a more tailored approach to staffing hours and class offerings when Upswell reopens In Central Park it s more of a family crowd who comes before and after work and early on weekends In RiNo people sleep in on Saturdays and Sundays and use Upswell during all hours on the weekdays Holland stated Related Articles Lender seeks receiver for RedT townhomes on Denver-Aurora line Golden hotel up for auction after bankruptcy filing Cherry Hills mansion sells for M Mexican breakfast spot closes in former Breakfast King building Entertainers at Denver strip clubs are protected by city s wage laws judge rules By adjusting the schedules to be more location specific she thinks Upswell will save money and better the experience for its members We had been staffed seven days a week to hours a day she announced Sometimes during peak times we d not be staffed enough and then off-peak be overstaffed Part of what we re trying to do is address the use patterns of each neighborhood Holland did not disclose revenue or membership figures but noted Upswell has really high retention rates It also has about employees with majority of part-time she announced In our business and in any membership based business retention is key to long-term sustainability she noted One of the learnings and the insights we really got is the number of members that you need at a certain price and that retention so you re not constantly trying to chase new members Read more from our partner BusinessDen Get more business news by signing up for our Commercial sector Now newsletter