Case Study: Graft Häus builds a 390-member loyal community with PushPress

Ditching Our Desk Jobs To Start A Gym

Graft Häus, a warehouse gym in Leeds founded by Tony Barnes and Charlene after leaving their desk jobs, faced the challenge of launching into a market crowded with commercial chains and overcoming slow early member acquisition, tight cashflow from initial over-staffing and an unexpected VAT issue. This story was featured by PushPress, makers of gym management software, in their Gym Stories series.

By focusing on targeted social media, a friend‑referral model, personal onboarding and community-driven programming (monthly challenges and close staff-member relationships), Graft Häus grew into a tight-knit membership of about 390 members with churn typically under a couple percent and a stable roster of 13 PTs. PushPress highlighted these results, showing how community-first operations combined with smart digital presence deliver measurable growth and strong retention for indie gyms.

Graft Häus

Tony Barnes

Owner