When Allie Fruetel-Robbins opened The Grind in Minneapolis in June 2023, she wasn’t just launching another fitness studio. She was building a community.
The Grind, a multi-modality boutique fitness studio, started with one North Loop location, a clear vision, and a lean budget. Allie had a background in brand merchandising and employee resource groups, but after earning her MBA, she knew it was time to build something of her own.
“I’ve always loved indoor cycling. I’ve been doing it for many, many years, and after I finished my MBA, I was like, okay, now’s the time,” she shares.
Today, The Grind offers much more than cycling. Across its two locations in North Loop and Edina, the studio creates an experience built for variety, connection, and repeat visits.
“We’re not just a four-wall studio, we’re not just a cycling studio, we’re not just a Pilates studio,” Allie says. “Within the two studio locations, we’ve got five separate studio spaces.”
And from day one, ClassPass was part of the plan.
How ClassPass helped The Grind launch with momentum
Before The Grind opened its doors, Allie was already thinking about how ClassPass could help the business grow.
“I started building up my plan,” she says. “Who do I want to partner with? What does ClassPass look like, even coming straight down from doing the business proposal before we’re even opening?”
As a self-funded founder, every marketing dollar mattered. Allie didn’t have investors, backers, or a large paid media budget to lean on. “We don’t do any paid advertisements or anything like that,” she says. “We want people who are organic to our community and who want to be there.” Instead, she focused on building real word of mouth through community, reviews, and discovery.
That made ClassPass a natural fit, especially during the studio’s early days. It gave The Grind a cost-efficient way to market the studio without the overhead of paid media. “I was so tight on budget that I utilized [ClassPass] and their reviews and their word of mouth to help jumpstart and get The Grind coming right out of the gate,” Allie adds.
Opening in Minnesota during the summer added another challenge, since it can be a slower season for studios as people spend more time outside and away on vacation. ClassPass helped The Grind drive early attendance during that period and reach new customers right when the studio needed momentum most.
ClassPass drives a stronger launch the second time
The Grind’s ClassPass growth story became even clearer when Allie opened the studio’s second location in Edina. At the original North Loop studio, a small group of ClassPass users visited in the first month. At Edina, that number grew significantly, showing much stronger traction right from the start.
For Allie, that growth showed the power of building momentum over time. The North Loop location introduced people to The Grind and helped build early awareness. When Edina opened, ClassPass helped carry that awareness into a new neighborhood and reach even more customers from day one.
The Edina location also helped The Grind meet a practical customer need. While North Loop is in a more walkable part of the city, Edina made it easier for customers who drive to visit without worrying about city parking.
As The Grind looks ahead, ClassPass remains a key part of the growth strategy. Allie says the platform factors into bigger business decisions, from opening new locations to launching new class types. She shares, “[ClassPass is] a really good marketing tool for us.”
That’ll be especially important as The Grind plans its third studio space out of state, where ClassPass can help introduce the brand to an entirely new audience.
Treating ClassPass users like part of the family
For The Grind, ClassPass isn’t just about filling spots. It’s about welcoming new people into the community. “We treat our ClassPassers like they’re members,” Allie says.
That means ClassPass users get the same warm welcome, the same milestone celebrations, and the same sense of belonging as direct members. For example, if they complete 50 classes, The Grind celebrates it. If there’s a retail perk attached to that achievement, ClassPass users get that too. “It’s all part of our community, and wanting them to have a space that they want to come back to,” she shares.
The Grind also gives ClassPass users an added benefit that many boutique studios reserve for members: the ability to choose their spot in class after booking. It’s a small touch that makes a big difference. It helps users feel like they’re not visiting from the outside. They’re part of the experience.
That community feeling extends beyond the studio walls, too. The Grind hosts outside community events with partner businesses, and ClassPass users often join in. “They go to our outside studio events that we have,” Allie says. “So they’re just a great extension of who we are as a business.”
Stronger visibility and year-round credibility
As the business has grown, The Grind has also used ClassPass tools to manage capacity in a smarter way. For busier classes, inventory for direct members is protected. But for slower time slots, she uses ClassPass to open more availability closer to class time. “It’s also nice to be able to open up more spots if you’re coming closer to a class time,” she says. “You’re like, hey, let’s get some more people in here.”
That control matters. It lets The Grind use ClassPass where it adds the most value without disrupting the studio’s core member experience. ClassPass recognition has also become a powerful marketing asset for the studio. In its first year, The Grind received ClassPass’s Ones to Watch Award. Since then, the team has continued to earn recognition, which they use across their marketing year-round.
“We use the award badges everywhere,” she adds. “We have it all over our sites, we have it on the emails.” That recognition builds trust with new customers and creates excitement within the team.
For other fitness businesses considering ClassPass, Allie’s advice is simple: “I think it’d be crazy not to, especially as far as cost savings for marketing,” she says. “Fitness industries pop up, and they go away really quickly, so you have to be very smart with your budgeting.”
For The Grind, ClassPass has helped drive discovery, support expansion, fill the right spots, and bring more people into the community.
As Allie puts it: “ClassPass is valuable to us because they help build our community and make it even stronger.”
