From Little Gym Customers to Multi-Unit Franchise Titans: How Two Investors Scaled a $20 Million Enterprise

The transition from a casual customer to a high-level franchisee is a journey taken by many, but few have executed the pivot with the surgical precision of Griffin Gordon and Kevin Condon. Once parents watching their children navigate the balance beams and tumble tracks of The Little Gym, the duo now stands at the helm of Somersault, a rapidly expanding investment vehicle that has transformed from a regional operation into a powerhouse entity with over 30 locations and nearly $20 million in annual revenue. Their trajectory offers a masterclass in the intersection of private equity strategy, franchise operations, and the evolving landscape of the youth enrichment industry.

The business relationship between Gordon and Condon predates their current venture, rooted in their shared time at the University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business. Following their graduation, the two followed distinct professional paths that would eventually converge to create the foundation of their success. Condon co-founded Hidden River Strategic Capital, a Philadelphia-based private equity firm specializing in small business investments, while Gordon navigated the nuances of private equity and the operational management of small and mid-sized enterprises. His later focus on franchisee-specific investment firms provided the final piece of the puzzle: a deep understanding of the unique fiscal and operational requirements of the franchise model.

The pivotal moment for their partnership arrived through an introduction to Richard Moore, a legacy operator whose family had spent nearly three decades cultivating a deep-rooted presence within The Little Gym system. Moore sought to accelerate growth, while his parents—the original operators—were looking toward retirement. Gordon and Condon recognized a rare opportunity: they could provide the necessary capital, financial oversight, and administrative infrastructure to scale an already successful, high-quality operational playbook.

The Chronology of Expansion

The formal partnership was initiated in 2023 with the acquisition of seven established North Carolina locations of The Little Gym. This initial cluster served as the prototype for their operating company, Somersault. By leveraging the existing brand reputation and the seasoned management team that came with the acquisition, the partners were able to stabilize the business model before aggressive scaling.

Within three years, that initial footprint of seven locations grew to over 30 units, with an additional ten currently in various stages of development. This growth was not merely organic; it was a blend of strategic acquisitions of existing franchise territories and the opening of new locations in high-growth demographic corridors. The speed of this expansion—quadrupling their footprint in just 36 months—has placed Somersault among the most prolific multi-unit operators within the Unleashed Brands ecosystem, the parent company of The Little Gym.

Market Analysis and Strategic Value

The youth enrichment market has seen a marked shift in the post-pandemic era. With parents increasingly prioritizing holistic development—focusing on physical activity, social-emotional learning, and confidence-building—the demand for structured, high-quality programming has surged. The Little Gym, which celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2026, occupies a unique niche in this market.

Industry analysts note that the brand’s longevity acts as a significant competitive moat. Unlike newer, unproven concepts, The Little Gym benefits from five decades of brand recognition and a refined, proprietary curriculum. For investors like Gordon and Condon, this provides a "turnkey" advantage. The business model is inherently repeatable, provided the operator possesses the discipline to adhere to the franchisor’s established guidelines while maintaining the agility to meet modern customer expectations.

Financial performance in this sector is highly dependent on "unit economics"—the profitability of each individual gym. Factors such as class utilization rates, membership retention, and staffing efficiency are the primary drivers of success. By centralizing back-office operations and leveraging the scale of 30+ locations, Somersault has been able to optimize its overhead, allowing for the reinvestment of capital into new technology and facility upgrades.

The Role of Technology and Operational Modernization

While the core curriculum remains the "secret sauce" that has defined the brand for half a century, the integration of modern technology has been central to the expansion efforts of the last three years. Under the ownership of Unleashed Brands, The Little Gym has moved away from the fragmented, small-business-style management systems that characterized its earlier history.

The introduction of new digital platforms, including mobile applications that allow parents to track developmental milestones, view class photos, and manage scheduling, has addressed a critical pain point for the modern consumer. This digital transformation has not only enhanced customer loyalty but has also provided operators with valuable data analytics. By understanding exactly when and why customers engage with the brand, owners can make informed decisions regarding marketing spend and class scheduling.

Official Perspectives on Scaling

In discussions regarding their aggressive growth strategy, both Gordon and Condon emphasize that their role is that of facilitators. "We’re backing management teams and organizational leaders," Condon notes. The success of the model relies on the talent within the gyms—the instructors and managers who foster the environment that initially attracted them as parents.

"The lesson we’ve learned and continue to learn is that this business is all about people," Gordon explains. "It’s a simple business to understand, but a challenging business to operate well." The duo’s approach to scaling involves a rigorous focus on recruitment, training, and retention. By offering clear career progression—allowing staff to move from instructors to multi-unit managers—they have mitigated the high turnover rates that often plague the service industry.

The partnership with the franchisor, Unleashed Brands, is described as symbiotic. For a franchisee to succeed at this scale, they must have a high level of confidence that the franchisor is actively reinvesting in the brand’s infrastructure. The partnership has been characterized by mutual trust, allowing for the integration of regional operational expertise with national marketing and brand strategy.

Broader Implications for the Franchise Industry

The rise of operators like Somersault reflects a broader trend in the franchise sector: the professionalization of multi-unit ownership. Increasingly, private equity-backed firms are entering the franchise space, bringing with them a level of financial rigor and operational scale that was previously absent in small-business franchising.

This shift has significant implications for both franchisors and prospective franchisees:

1. Systematization: As larger operators enter the system, franchisors are compelled to improve their internal systems, technology, and support structures to satisfy sophisticated investors.
2. Market Consolidation: High-performing brands are increasingly being consolidated into the hands of a few large, well-capitalized multi-unit groups. This can lead to greater consistency across the brand but may also reduce the number of independent, "mom-and-pop" style operators.
3. Access to Capital: The success of Gordon and Condon serves as a roadmap for aspiring entrepreneurs. They emphasize that the Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD) is an underutilized resource, and they encourage potential investors to conduct extensive due diligence by reaching out to existing franchisees.

Looking toward the future, the goal of reaching $100 million in revenue is viewed by the partners as an ambitious but achievable milestone. Given their current rate of expansion and the increasing demand for youth enrichment services, their trajectory suggests that they will continue to play a pivotal role in the evolution of the brand.

Ultimately, the story of Gordon and Condon is one of aligning professional expertise with personal conviction. By viewing the business through the dual lens of an investor and a parent, they have managed to strip away the complexity of the enterprise to focus on the core value proposition: providing a high-quality environment for child development. As they continue to scale, their ability to maintain the "small business feel" within a large-scale corporate framework will likely serve as the ultimate test of their model. For now, they remain focused on the fundamentals: a consistent, joy-filled experience for every child, supported by a scalable, data-driven, and highly disciplined operation.