DENVER – A new boxing fitness studio just opened its doors in downtown Denver. But they’ve been hit with some challenges along the way.
Worth the Fight Boxing and Fitness opened in February. Co-owner Emily Stork says she and her wife, Gladys, have dealt with supply chain issues, trouble hiring employees and high advertisement costs.
They’ve had to get creative in order to find ways to attract new customers. They held around 40 free classes and events to help get more people in the door.
But this is a time when many are feeling the pain as inflation continues to rise.
“I do hear from people, a lot that sign up, more than I expected, that they can’t make it work financially to pay," said Stork. "It means we lose more people each month which means we have to gain more people to stay even. It’s one thing if someone leaves if they don’t like your service but it’s another if they’re like, ‘I love it, it’s great but I just can’t afford it.'"
“People who are led to work long hours with minimum to medium-income as everything starts to rise, that’s a lot of pressure,” said employee Michael Vaughn.
He says they’re doing what they can to accommodate those who are struggling financially but still want to keep their membership.
Despite all of the challenges, Emily and Gladys are willing to fight to make their business successful.
“There are so many challenges that we did not anticipate at all, but I mean once you’re this far in you have to keep moving forward, and when you do solve obstacles you feel good," said Stork.
Worth the Fight Boxing is located at 1999 Pennsylvania St.