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New York-based Club Athletic has opened its first Chicago studio in Old Town and is preparing a second location in the West Loop. The expansion is the brand’s first move into the Midwest as it pursues growth beyond New York.
New York-based Club Athletic has opened its first Chicago location, Old Town Athletic, at 1350 N. Wells Street, and is preparing to open a second studio in the West Loop on Oct. 12. The move marks the squad-based fitness brand’s first expansion into the Midwest as it pursues a broader national footprint.
Old Town Athletic opened on Sept. 21. The second site, Lake Street Athletic, is planned for 1035 W. Lake Street in the West Loop, with a scheduled grand opening on Oct. 12. According to Athletech News, the West Loop studio has been offering free community workouts ahead of that opening.
Club Athletic organizes members into fixed groups of 20 people who train twice a week with the same coach. Its strength and conditioning sessions use progressive 12-week programming cycles, and each location runs the same daily workout, the report said.
The Chicago studios also include turf areas for the brand’s Hybrid program, aimed at people preparing for endurance competitions such as Hyrox. The locations are planned to include post-workout lounges and coffee bars. Club Athletic also runs drop-in classes, run clubs and monthly social events, according to the report.
A Midwest Test for Club Athletic
Chicago gives Club Athletic a foothold outside the New York area and a chance to test its group-based membership model in a new market. Opening two sites close together could help the company build a local community around repeat training sessions and social activities, although the source report does not provide membership or attendance projections for either studio.
The expansion is part of a wider growth plan, rather than a single-location launch. Founder Dane McCarthy has named Chicago and Washington, D.C., among markets beyond New York that the company has considered, with additional markets targeted for 2027. The Chicago openings therefore provide an early indication of how the brand is putting that plan into practice.
For local customers, the development adds a new option combining scheduled group training, competition-oriented workouts and social programming. The company’s model relies on members returning with the same squad and coach; whether that approach attracts and retains a substantial Chicago membership remains to be seen.
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From New York Group to Chicago
Club Athletic grew out of an outdoor workout group McCarthy founded in 2021. By May, it operated seven New York City locations and served more than 2,000 members, according to Athletech News. Those figures describe the company’s New York operation at that time, not its Chicago membership.
The Chicago launch follows a May rebrand from The Athletic Clubs to Club Athletic. At the time, McCarthy outlined plans to expand beyond New York, including into Chicago and Washington, D.C., and to enter additional markets in 2027. The company’s growth has also drawn outside investment: Athletech News reported a $3.5 million funding round in 2025 led by Anne Mahlum, founder of Solidcore.
The report describes the company’s training format and planned amenities, but does not specify the size of the Chicago sites, their class schedules, or the terms and prices of memberships.
“When we started Club Athletic in New York, we set out to redefine how people build consistency and connection in their daily lives.”
— Dane McCarthy, Club Athletic founder
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Chicago Membership Details Remain Open
The report gives the opening dates and addresses but does not state how many members have joined in Chicago, how many classes will run each week, or what membership will cost. It also does not provide projected revenue, hiring plans or targets for the two studios.
The West Loop site’s Oct. 12 grand opening is described as planned. The source does not confirm whether that date has since changed or report whether the event took place. The scale and timing of future expansion into Washington, D.C., or other markets are also not specified beyond the company’s broad plans.
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West Loop Opening and Expansion
The next stated milestone is the planned Oct. 12 opening of Lake Street Athletic in the West Loop, following its reported run of free community workouts. The opening would complete the company’s initial two-location Chicago rollout described in the source report.
After the launch, the measures that could show how the expansion is progressing include class schedules, membership levels and whether the brand adds more sites. Club Athletic has discussed expansion beyond New York, including Washington, D.C., and other markets in 2027, but the source does not name locations, dates or commitments for those plans.
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Key Questions
Where did Club Athletic open in Chicago?
The brand opened Old Town Athletic at 1350 N. Wells Street. It also announced a second site, Lake Street Athletic, at 1035 W. Lake Street in the West Loop.
When is the West Loop studio scheduled to open?
The source report says Lake Street Athletic was preparing for a grand opening on Oct. 12. It does not confirm whether the date has changed or whether the opening has since occurred.
What is Club Athletic’s training model?
Members are placed in fixed squads of 20 people who train twice weekly with the same coach. Workouts follow progressive 12-week programming cycles, according to Athletech News.
Does Club Athletic offer workouts for endurance competitions?
Both Chicago locations feature turf areas for the brand’s Hybrid program, which the report says is intended for members training for endurance competitions such as Hyrox.
Is Club Athletic planning to expand beyond Chicago?
Founder Dane McCarthy previously identified Washington, D.C. and additional markets in 2027 as part of the company’s expansion plans. The source does not identify specific sites or confirmed opening dates for those markets.
Source: rss
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