Sauna gym franchise Hotworx to open at Station Yards in Ronkonkoma

Station Yards’ first fitness business hopes to turn up the heat in Ronkonkoma when a franchise owner opens there later this year.

Hotworx, infrared sauna gyms with three locations on Long Island, will open a 2,500-square-foot facility at the housing and shopping hub Station Yards by the beginning of 2026, franchise owners said. The gym, which combines virtually instructed workout classes with a sauna, will be the development’s first fitness tenant, according to the property owners Tritec Real Estate.

Franchise owners Tiffany Upton and her husband, James, said they wanted to attract shoppers and residents living next to the Long Island Rail Road station.

"I hope that really everyone who goes to Station Yards would consider a membership," said Tiffany Upton.

Hotworx, which opened its first location in 2017 in Oxford, Mississippi, combines infrared sauna technology with guided cardio workouts. Virtual instructors on screens throughout the fitness studio teach the classes, which are designed to be intense but short given the heated environment.

Hotworx has locations in Bethpage, Miller Place and Eastport, Upton said. The franchise has more than 700 facilities globally, according to the Hotworx website. 

Monthly memberships vary by location, but on Long Island a "Sweat Basic" membership that gives customers 24-hour access to only one gym of their choice is $79 a month, according to the company’s website. A "Sweat Elite" membership costs $99 and gives members access to any location plus access to perks like personal training sessions and diet tracking through the company’s app.

"Station Yards was always envisioned as a destination where people can live, dine, shop, and stay active all in one place," Jimmy Coughlan, executive vice president and partner at family operated Tritec Real Estate, said in a statement.

"We’re thrilled to welcome Hotworx as our first fitness tenant, expanding the diverse mix of experiences we’re curating," Coughlan said. The gym’s addition "reinforces our vision of Station Yards as a true community hub."

Upton learned about infrared therapy from a holistic doctor she was seeing about two years ago, she said. After some online searching, she quickly found Hotworx’s Bethpage location and went to visit.

"My husband and I checked it out and we became members immediately," she said.

Upton said she and her husband signed licenses that allow them to open two more locations on the Island, though they were focused on getting their Ronkonkoma site built out and opened first.

"Ultimately, what we would like to do is bring a bunch of them of them to the Island," Upton said.

The infrared sauna market in the United States is estimated to bring in sales of $275 million this year and is projected to grow by 5.42% per year from 2025 to 2033, according to market research firm Data Insights Market.