INTRODUCING THE CHICAGO BOUTIQUE FITNESS ALLIANCE

Who We Are

THE CHICAGO BOUTIQUE FITNESS ALLIANCE (CBFA) IS A VOLUNTEER-RUN GRASSROOTS COLLECTIVE OF SMALL TO MIDSIZE COMMUNITY AND BOUTIQUE FITNESS STUDIOS SERVING ALL 77 NEIGHBORHOODS OF CHICAGO, REPRESENTING OVER 25,000 JOBS AND HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF CLIENTS PER YEAR. WHILE WE SERVE THE PEOPLE AND OUR TEAMS ON THEIR QUEST TO LIVE HEALTHY LIVES THROUGH MOVEMENT AND MINDFULNESS, WE REPRESENT A WIDE RANGE OF FITNESS AND MOVEMENT MODALITIES AND SERVE A DIVERSE POPULATION IN ALL NEIGHBORHOODS OF CHICAGO. WE HAVE A LARGE IMPACT ON OUR COMMUNITY AND ARE AN INCLUSIVE AND UNITED VOICE OF THE CHICAGO COMMUNITY FITNESS OPERATORS.

Our teams are our families.

WE SUPPORT AND ADVOCATE FOR:

Job Creation:

Chicago boutique and community studios employ more than 25,000 individuals, and reopening our gyms is paramount for job recreation. Customers are traveling to open gyms in the suburbs, depriving Chicago’s small business owners of revenue necessary to pay wages for their employees.

Neighborhood Access:

Many residents lack access to, or can’t afford, the membership fees of larger gyms that can meet Phase 3 requirements. Local studios, specifically on the South and West Sides, are often the most convenient and affordable gyms they have access to in their communities.

Physical and Mental Health Wellbeing:

Local community gyms provide a place of refuge and healing to address the mental health impacts that widespread racial injustice and the COVID-19 pandemic have had on our communities. Member surveys show that clients want to return, but they have significantly reduced or stopped exercising during quarantine due to lack of facilities. There is a direct correlation between exercise and improving many physical and mental health as well as improving anxiety, which is critically important in these stressful, tumultuous times.

OUR

MISSION

To serve the needs of the vital boutique and community fitness operators in the City of Chicago, throughout every neighborhood, connecting current professionals as well as developing its future growth. As we work together through programs to help one another, we are dedicated to improving each and everyone’s well-being, educating one another, and supporting each and every fitness professional as we all stay mentally and physically active, fit and healthy.

Our Commitment:

Our spaces exist to serve the health and well-being of our community. As such, the safety of our patrons and staff is critically important to us. We’re committed to increasing sanitation standards, complying with social distancing, instituting temperature checks for all members and staff, setting up disinfectant stations, establishing clear signage and using PPE in an effort to keep our communities safe and healthy.

The health of our members and teams has always been our #1 priority.

Our Ask:

Current Phase 3 and proposed Phase 4 guidelines for Chicago’s reopening make it impossible for small boutique and community studios to stay in business. While the health and safety of our community is our top priority, operating at capacity levels far below pre-COVID levels will be to the detriment of our members and will likely lead to widespread business closures and job losses in our industry. We’re asking Mayor Lightfoot and Governor Pritzker to consider 50% capacity for our classrooms in Phase 3 and 75% capacity in Phase 4.

Many Chicagoans lack access to, or can’t afford, the membership fees of big-box gyms. Small, local studios provide convenience and affordability to communities on the South and West Sides.

WHAT YOU CAN DO TO

HELP

We get loud in-studio for you, now we are going to ask you to get loud for us! We need your help to get our message to your local and state officials, and your support to make sure we are here for the long term!