While the COVID-19 pandemic has prevented fans to attend Quakes matches and sporting events since March 2020, the club has found creative ways to bring local communities into the stadium safely while helping local businesses during these unprecedented times.
Last August, the Quakes teamed up with Orangetheory, a San Jose fitness studio, allowing them to reopen their doors to members in the outdoor environment of PayPal Park. Since their first outdoor session, Orangetheory has recorded over 33,000 visits and conducted over 1,300 classes. Staff would limit a class capacity to 25 members to follow local and state guidance, and even with public nervousness, they would consistently have waitlists of 20-30 people every class.
“As a small business owner, I was in a bad spot last August with my two fitness studios being closed and no end in sight to the pandemic,” Orangetheory San Jose owner Louie Ruvane said. “The teamwork between both organizations from day one has been the most amazing and heartwarming outcome of this difficult time.”
While their classes remained almost identical to when they were indoors, the customer’s experience was enhanced by the unique outdoor background that fitness members would enjoy during each class.
“People loved working out at the stadium. The view from our workout area was very photogenic and we especially loved all the touches including the orange lighting to welcome us to the venue,” Ruvane remembered. “We also had significantly more exposure throughout the Orangetheory network because of the unique and amazing setting.”
The partnership did not only allow Orangetheory to welcome their customers back, but also created the opportunity for their business to grow during a time of struggle and economic uncertainty by signing over 300 new members in the process.
“For the Earthquakes organization and their entire staff to embrace us like they did will never be forgotten by me or the thousands of Orangetheory members who visited over the past eight wonderful months!” Ruvane shared.
To learn more about Orangetheory or to become a member, visit www.orangetheory.com.
