A veteran U.S. quick-service restaurant operator is taking his franchise portfolio into a new category, with Laddi Singh signing a multi-unit development agreement with Retro Fitness and preparing to open his first club on Long Island this year.
Singh currently operates more than 50 restaurants across the Popeyes, Burger King and Arby’s brands in New York, Connecticut and Pennsylvania. His move into fitness marks a strategic diversification beyond foodservice, leveraging the development, real estate and multi-unit operating experience he has built over his franchise career.
Singh has completed more than 30 ground-up development projects, giving him extensive experience in site selection, construction management and real estate execution, capabilities that are directly relevant to opening and scaling fitness locations.
His franchise track record has also earned several industry distinctions. He was named Popeyes Franchisee of the Year in 2020, received the Arby’s Inspiring Smiles Award in 2020 and was awarded the Popeyes Gold Plate Award in 2024.
“As someone who has spent years building and growing franchise businesses in QSR, I was looking to diversify with my next investment,” Singh said. “Retro Fitness immediately stood out because of its high-value, low-price model, experienced management team and comprehensive support for franchisees.”
Singh added that the concept combines a business he is interested in with a model he believes in, and said he is looking forward to introducing Retro Fitness to more communities across New York.
The first club is planned for Long Island, with additional locations to follow. The agreement strengthens Retro Fitness’ presence in the New York market while reflecting the brand’s strategy of attracting experienced multi-unit franchise operators capable of scaling across territories.
For Retro Fitness CEO Andrew Alfano, the partnership demonstrates how established franchise operators are increasingly looking beyond their traditional sectors for new growth opportunities. “Laddi’s investment reflects the confidence sophisticated franchisees have in the Retro Fitness brand,” Alfano said. “Coming from hospitality myself, I understand why an experienced QSR operator would see the opportunity to diversify into high-value, low-price fitness.”
Retro Fitness positions itself within the high-value, low-price, or HVLP, fitness segment. The company says it has served members for 20 years and combines its gym offering with a 24/7 connected member app and a brand proposition built around mind, body and soul.
The franchise model is also designed to appeal to both owner-operators and investment groups. Through its No Sweat Franchise Program™, Retro Fitness says franchisees receive support spanning site selection, construction, marketing, accounting, training, education, centralized call-centre operations and ongoing operational assistance.
The company describes the model as a turnkey platform intended to reduce the operational burden of entering the fitness sector while giving franchisees access to centralized resources.
For Singh, the move represents a shift from a highly competitive QSR environment into a fitness business built around recurring memberships and a value-led proposition, while allowing him to apply the same multi-unit development discipline that has underpinned his restaurant portfolio.
The Long Island opening will therefore be more than a single new gym for Retro Fitness: it will be the first step in a broader expansion strategy with an operator already experienced in building franchise networks across multiple markets.
The agreement also illustrates a wider evolution in multi-brand franchising, as experienced operators increasingly use their existing capabilities in real estate, development, staffing and operations to enter adjacent consumer categories rather than remaining concentrated in one sector.
