Couple open Savage gym during the pandemic — and so far, so good

Matt and Alyssa Diioia were close to buying a national boutique gym franchise when the coronavirus pandemic hit the U.S.

The pause gave them time to develop their own plan for a boutique fitness studio, concentrating on assisted stretching and wellness programs. They opened Stretchly last June in Savage and hope to build their own franchise concept.

"What it's done is allowed us to build a brand that we can scale into anything we want," Matt Diioia said. "It doesn't limit us like a franchise would, with a very templated format for stretch. We immediately came out of the gate with a different, more diverse model with a lot more flexibility."

Alyssa, a former college soccer player and CrossFit competitor and coach who previously worked as a business process analyst, planned the studio space and oversees Stretchly's programs. Matt, a Marine Corps veteran with management and finance experience who still works another full-time job, concentrates on the business side of the gym.

Most of the Diioias' staff, including Alyssa, has corrective exercise specialist certifications and all have neuromuscular stretching certifications from the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM).

By using deep stretching, corrective exercise and other techniques, the staff helps customers improve mobility, muscle recovery and performances in workouts as well as training and competitions. Gym members range from seniors seeking more stability and motion to marathon runners and other athletes.

"It's beyond just being able to apply stretch," Alyssa said. "We activate muscle groups. … We don't just hit one modality, we hit a lot of them. What's important is to not only have muscles that can stretch and move, but we can activate the appropriate muscles to have optimal movement."

Kari Anderson, children's choir director at Shepherd of the Valley Lutheran Church in Apple Valley, said she likes that each stretching session is personalized. For her, it focuses mainly on her upper body and has relieved muscle tension headaches.

"I've been sleeping better, and it's decreased the pain I have after lifting weights," she said.

Gerald Anderson, corporate senior credit officer for Associated Bank, said the workout has relieved some upper back pain and improved his flexibility. He's looking forward to seeing how that benefits his golf game. Stretching also has improved his bowling and relieved soreness the next day.

"After my first stretch, I actually bowled the best series of my life," he said.

Assisted stretching has gained a following during the past decade.

Stretch Zone, another franchise, has nearly 160 locations in 29 states, including Eden Prairie.

Stretchly offers both individual sessions and memberships that offer discounted rates. The no-contract policy is especially popular with snowbirds, the Diioias said, though the seasonal departure of 45 members last fall meant the business did take a dip.

Still, Stretchly has grown roughly 20% monthly in both new members and revenue, Matt said. The couple invested some of their own money and obtained a Small Business Administration loan to open their 1,672-square-foot studio.

"It's not a significant financial investment up front to do this. The time and energy to run the business were more of a burden to us," Matt said, with Alyssa noting that, in addition to their startup venture, the couple also have young twin sons.

Work on a second location will start this year, with an opening in spring 2023, Matt said. He declined to specify where.

His expectation is to expand to three to five locations in the next three to five years and then start looking for franchisees to continue that growth.

"There's no skirting the fact that opening a business in a pandemic was hard," Alyssa said. "There are numbers that have to be met. There are some sleepless nights. There are concerns. But what gets you through all of that is that we opened a business that's helping people. That is the fuel to keep going when there are challenges and obstacles that are just inevitable in starting a business."