Stretch Zone brings practitioner-assisted stretching to Bedminster with new studio launch

Stretch Zone, the nation’s largest practitioner-assisted stretching franchise, has officially opened a new studio in Bedminster Township, New Jersey, marking another step in the company’s rapid U.S. expansion. This Bedminster studio represents the first Stretch Zone location for franchise owner Ray Kalustyan, who has already confirmed plans to open a second studio in Chester, New Jersey in 2026. The opening underscores the company’s aggressive growth strategy and its bid to capture rising consumer interest in wellness-focused fitness alternatives.

How is Stretch Zone reshaping the wellness and fitness landscape with its practitioner-assisted model?

Stretch Zone has carved out a distinct niche in the competitive fitness and wellness sector by offering an assisted stretching experience guided entirely by certified practitioners. Unlike traditional fitness programs, where members perform stretches themselves, Stretch Zone’s approach involves a patented strapping system that secures clients to a specialized table, allowing practitioners to move limbs through controlled ranges of motion. The technique reduces muscle tension, improves circulation, and enhances flexibility without requiring the participant to exert effort. This low-barrier format appeals to a wide demographic—from competitive athletes looking to prevent injury to older adults seeking to maintain mobility.

Industry data shows that the wellness market has expanded significantly in the last decade, with U.S. consumers spending over $1.8 trillion annually on health and wellness services. Within that, recovery-focused fitness categories like stretching, cryotherapy, and massage have surged in popularity, particularly among aging populations and time-pressed professionals. Stretch Zone’s business model taps directly into these trends, positioning stretching not as a post-workout add-on but as a core wellness habit.

Why is the Bedminster launch a strategic move in Stretch Zone’s regional expansion plans?

The Bedminster studio marks Stretch Zone’s first entry into Somerset County, an affluent and health-conscious market within the New York metropolitan area. The area’s dense concentration of corporate professionals, active retirees, and youth athletes aligns closely with the company’s target demographics. By placing its first studio in Bedminster, Stretch Zone is building a foothold for further growth across northern New Jersey, where consumer spending on boutique fitness services has outpaced national averages in recent years.

Franchise owner Ray Kalustyan emphasized that his motivation extended beyond commercial opportunity. Having remained active through decades in corporate roles and collegiate athletics, he described discovering Stretch Zone’s methodology as a personal turning point that aligned with his passion for long-term wellness. His plan to add a Chester location next reflects the company’s broader cluster-based expansion strategy, which focuses on launching multiple units within tightly defined geographic zones to build brand recognition and operational efficiency. Industry analysts often cite this approach as a key factor behind Stretch Zone’s ability to surpass 300 locations nationwide since its founding in 2004.

How does Stretch Zone differentiate itself in the competitive boutique fitness and recovery space?

Stretch Zone competes in a crowded landscape of boutique fitness studios, chiropractic clinics, physical therapy practices, and wellness spas that all promote flexibility training and recovery services. Its competitive advantage lies in its standardization and scalability. Each Stretch Zone session follows a structured protocol designed by founder Jorden Gold, who originally developed the method to alleviate his grandfather’s mobility issues. This proprietary system allows practitioners to deliver consistent results while minimizing injury risk, making it more scalable than individualized physical therapy models that rely heavily on clinician discretion.

Financially, the brand’s franchise model has also proven attractive to investors. The company reports that many franchisees operate multiple units, benefiting from shared marketing, staffing, and operational infrastructure. Typical studios require relatively low square footage and equipment costs, producing favorable unit economics. These factors have positioned Stretch Zone as one of the fastest-growing players in the recovery-focused wellness market, drawing comparisons to earlier fitness franchising success stories such as Orangetheory Fitness and Club Pilates.

What benefits and experiences are driving consumer demand for Stretch Zone services?

Stretch Zone promotes its sessions as providing measurable improvements in flexibility, posture, and range of motion after just a few visits. Clients frequently report reduced stiffness, faster post-exercise recovery, and lower stress levels. Because the sessions are fully assisted, they are accessible even to individuals with limited mobility or chronic pain who might find conventional workouts intimidating or unsafe. This inclusivity has helped the brand cultivate a diverse customer base spanning high school athletes, corporate professionals, and retirees.

The company’s focus on experience also plays a role in customer retention. Studios are designed to provide a calm, spa-like atmosphere rather than a high-energy gym environment. New members at the Bedminster studio are being offered a complimentary introductory stretch session and consultation, which allows them to experience the benefits firsthand and lowers the barrier to trial. This marketing tactic has been a consistent driver of customer acquisition across the brand’s network, according to industry franchise reports.

How does Stretch Zone’s rise reflect broader shifts in the health and wellness economy?

Stretch Zone’s expansion is emblematic of a broader shift in consumer health priorities from performance-oriented fitness to recovery, longevity, and preventive care. Analysts note that this trend has accelerated as aging baby boomers and Gen Xers seek ways to remain active while minimizing injury risk. At the same time, younger demographics—especially millennials and Gen Z—are adopting a more holistic view of wellness that prioritizes stress reduction and functional mobility alongside strength and endurance.

This evolution has created fertile ground for recovery-focused franchises like Stretch Zone. Investors have taken notice: while Stretch Zone is privately held, comparable companies in adjacent sectors—such as Restore Hyper Wellness and Massage Envy—have attracted private equity investment based on their recurring revenue potential and alignment with long-term health trends. Stretch Zone’s ability to expand rapidly through franchising suggests confidence among operators in its business model’s durability even in competitive markets.

How could Stretch Zone’s growth trajectory influence the future of boutique wellness franchising?

As Stretch Zone continues its geographic expansion, its model may shape the next phase of boutique wellness franchising. By standardizing a service that delivers immediate, tangible benefits, it has reduced the operational complexity that often hampers growth in health services. If its Bedminster and upcoming Chester locations perform as expected, they could serve as blueprints for further multi-unit development in the dense Northeast corridor, including New York, Connecticut, and Pennsylvania.

Industry observers anticipate that the company’s growth could spur competitors to accelerate their own franchising efforts or diversify into assisted stretching to defend market share. Meanwhile, consumer adoption could shift industry norms, with stretching evolving from a peripheral offering to a standalone wellness category akin to yoga or Pilates. This could open new partnership opportunities for Stretch Zone with corporate wellness programs, sports teams, and healthcare providers seeking cost-effective injury prevention tools.

The Bedminster launch therefore represents more than a local business opening—it signals how Stretch Zone is positioning itself to shape the national conversation around mobility, recovery, and aging well. If the company sustains its current growth pace, it may emerge as one of the defining wellness franchises of the coming decade, with the potential to influence consumer behavior and franchising strategies across the broader fitness industry.