Stepz Fitness opens Queensland clubs and signs Victorian sites

Stepz Fitness has opened two Queensland clubs within a fortnight and secured a three-location development pipeline in Victoria. The latest expansion combines operating clubs in Rothwell and Townsville with signed franchise agreements that will take the fitness brand into Melbourne and regional Victoria.

Two Queensland openings extend the network

Stepz Fitness Rothwell opened on 28 October in Moreton Bay’s northern growth corridor. It is the network’s largest Queensland club to date, making it a notable addition to the brand’s presence in the state.

The Rothwell opening was followed by the launch of Stepz Fitness Aitkenvale in Townsville, reported in the network’s 6 November update. Both clubs are now open and taking memberships.

The two launches extend the brand’s Queensland reach in different locations: Rothwell in the Moreton Bay area and Aitkenvale in Townsville. They also represent completed openings rather than future development commitments, an important distinction when assessing the pace of a franchise network’s expansion.

For Australia’s franchise community, the update provides two separate measures of progress: new clubs already trading in Queensland and agreements supporting entry into another state. The Victorian locations remain part of the development pipeline rather than the operating network.

Three agreements establish a Victorian pipeline

Stepz Fitness has signed franchise agreements for St Kilda and Echuca, adding to its previously secured Mickleham site in Melbourne’s north. That brings its Victorian pipeline to three locations, comprising two Melbourne clubs and one in a regional centre.

St Kilda is expected to open in 2027 as the brand’s first Victorian club. Mickleham is due to follow at the end of 2027. Echuca, on the Murray River, will extend the planned footprint beyond the Victorian capital.

The combination gives the brand a pipeline spanning metropolitan and regional locations, rather than concentrating its Victorian entry entirely in Melbourne. However, the signed agreements and expected opening dates should not be read as evidence that those clubs are already trading.

The timetable also places Victoria in the next phase of the network’s expansion. Queensland’s newest clubs are accepting members now, while the first Victorian launch is expected the following year. That separation helps distinguish immediate operating growth from the brand’s longer-term development commitments.

National growth comes with a franchisee focus

The network had 10 clubs when Waller took over as National Franchisor in 2017. It now reports more than 27 clubs across New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia and the ACT.

Stepz Fitness has set a goal of reaching 100 clubs across Australia by 2035. That figure is a stated ambition, not a confirmed opening programme, and is separate from the specific locations identified in its latest update.

Alongside the expansion figures, the network has emphasised that each new site must work for the franchisee and that owners need support as the business grows. That places franchisee viability alongside the headline club-count target in its public explanation of the expansion strategy.

Those are related but distinct considerations. Opening more clubs increases a network’s footprint; ensuring that individual locations are suitable for their owners requires attention at site level. The update presents both growth and owner support as priorities, without establishing how any individual new club will perform financially.

Sydney openings are next in sequence

Before the three Victorian clubs, Stepz Fitness identifies Marrickville in Sydney’s inner west and Narellan in Sydney’s south west as its next openings.

The announced sequence therefore moves from the completed Queensland launches to further development in New South Wales, followed by entry into Victoria. It gives prospective franchise partners a clearer picture of the network’s near-term direction than the 2035 target alone.

Practical takeaway: Prospective franchisees should distinguish between clubs already operating, signed development locations and longer-term growth ambitions. For anyone considering a Stepz Fitness opportunity, the useful next questions concern the individual site’s business case, opening timetable and owner support—not simply the network’s planned size.