A Franchise Insider Reveals the Secrets to Multi-Unit Growth

Since stepping into franchising in 2014 following decades in the private fitness business, Don Allen has built a track record of scaling multiple brands quickly and sustainably. From health to child development and now pet services, he’s applied the same playbook: build systems, protect culture and make growth repeatable.

Now, as COO of Zoom Room — an indoor dog training gym ranked #220 on the 2025 Franchise 500 — Allen is applying decades of business experience to one of the fastest-growing sectors in franchising. In this interview, he shares what it really takes to expand into multi-unit and multi-brand ownership, why systems and culture matter more than ever and how he’s helping Zoom Room position itself in the $150 billion pet services industry.

You’ve worn many different hats in business. How did you get into franchising?
The first two-thirds of my career I spent in privately-owned fitness businesses. At 19, I started working at Gainesville Health and Fitness while attending the University of Florida. I had no idea it was one of the top health clubs in the world, but it was a leadership and business factory disguised as a gym. I thought I was just getting a part-time job, but I ended up learning how to run businesses. From then until my early 50s, every day of my career was in health and fitness.

Then, in 2014, I was recruited to lead Orangetheory Fitness in West and Southwest Florida. That was my first time working inside a franchise system and, honestly, I was worried. I’d always been in environments where we could do whatever we wanted creatively, with no guardrails. I thought franchising would be restrictive. Within a few months, though, I realized it was the opposite. The brand handled all the things I didn’t enjoy — marketing, the website, branding — so my team and I could focus 100% on culture, client retention and running the best studios possible. I fell in love with franchising.

At Orangetheory, you helped grow your region from a handful of locations to 32. What was the key to scaling that quickly?
First, I’ll admit I caught the brand at the right moment — just before it hit its stride. But we also figured out why some studios outperformed others. One of the biggest breakthroughs was when Orangetheory centralized the workout design. Early on, trainers were creating their own workouts. That meant only highly specialized people could coach, which would never scale. Once programming came from corporate, we could hire more charismatic, people-oriented coaches and focus on delivering a great experience. That’s what allowed Orangetheory to grow from hundreds of units to thousands.

You later became an investor in KidStrong. How did that happen?
That was pure luck. In December 2019, private equity acquired our Orangetheory group at its highest valuation ever. Three months later, the world shut down for Covid. That timing was a blessing. I wasn’t operational with KidStrong — I invested with a friend from Orangetheory — but I loved the concept. My son was too old for it, but I saw how much stronger he would’ve been if he’d had that program. It’s a great brand and I still have investments there.

You also helped build more than 30 F45 Training sites. What did that teach you?
It taught me resilience. I joined as employee number one and we scaled across five states. Eventually, I realized I was traveling too much and wanted something more sustainable.

Now you’re involved in Zoom Room. What led to that?
I wanted another “Orangetheory moment” — a young brand with white space, real differentiation and a founder who inspired me. I’ve also always rescued and fostered dogs, so the mission clicked. When I met the founder and the team, I was sold. It felt like the right place to spend the next 10 years.

How are you applying your past experience at Zoom Room?
Franchising is franchising. At Orangetheory, we train humans; at KidStrong, we train kids and at Zoom Room, we train dogs. The same operational principles apply. I’ve brought in structure: updated training manuals, a rebuilt LMS, new processes — moving Zoom Room from a scrappy mom-and-pop to a scalable franchise system. The goal is to be ready for sophisticated multi-unit owners who want to diversify. When they look under the hood, we want them to see a system built for growth.

Culture is central to scaling, but how do you preserve it as you expand?
It starts with who you let in. At Zoom Room, we’ve shifted from “selling licenses” to “awarding licenses.” Not everyone qualifies. Charisma matters more than skill — because you can teach someone to train dogs, but you can’t teach them to light up a room. I’ve also developed a seven-part framework for building culture, something I first created with my Orangetheory team and have since presented around the world. Culture isn’t a quick fix — it’s a crockpot, not a microwave — but if you systemize it, measure it and reinforce it, you can protect it as you grow.

For entrepreneurs who want to become multi-unit or multi-brand owners, what’s your best advice?
Be well-funded. Passion is great, but if you’re undercapitalized, you’ll be stressed, anxious and unintentionally destroy your own culture. Having the right capital lets you weather delays and problems without panic. And the flip side is true, too: Growth builds culture. Nothing excites your team more than hearing you’re opening more locations. That’s when opportunity and culture feed each other.