New franchise to open at the Waterfront this quarter

A new franchise is coming to the Waterfront, and it’s one that can help with a lot of New Year’s resolutions, though not in the traditional sense.

Jerry Poole is opening StretchLab, which he called “a studio where you can come in and get an assisted stretch from what we call a flexologist.”

He said flexologists have a lot of training and “a deep understanding of . . . how the human body should work.”

It’s not a workout, but Poole said it can improve sports performance “or just improve your ability to get up and play with your grandkids.”

“It’s truly about flexibility and getting you limber and moving.”

Poole said mobility is the key to everything else in life, and stretching is the key to mobility.

“Everybody needs a good stretch. It’s just a fantastic modality to help at any age.”

The California-based franchise has more than 300 studios nationally.

Poole said he chose the Waterfront for the east side’s demographics. The Waterfront is “the center of the target, there’s no doubt about that.”

He said Wichita in general has a thriving economy.

“I just really like the Wichita vibe that’s going on right now.”

Poole went to high school in Fredonia and played football for K-State in the early 1980s.

He now has a summer house in Idaho and spends the rest of the year traveling in an RV, which includes stops in Wichita.

Poole also is a franchisee for Body20, a concept he’s currently putting in Oklahoma City. It’s a once-a-week workout that Poole said packs the power of a six-hour workout. He said he’s been looking for a Wichita site for that concept, too, but hasn’t had any luck.

“I tried all summer,” he said. “Wichita’s a really tight market right now.”

Eventually, Poole hopes to have a west-side StretchLab as well.

The Waterfront StretchLab should open by the end of the first quarter.

Don Piros of Landmark Commercial Real Estate handled the deal.

Monthly memberships will vary between $150 and $230 depending upon a member’s needs.

“It’s about getting more out of everything else you’re doing,” Poole said. “It’s just an enhancement to anything else you’re trying to work on.”