Fleet Feet announced plans for expansion in Texas in 2020 with the opening of two new locations.
The first location will open in San Antonio in March and will become the third San Antonio store for the brand. The second will open in Plano, TX in April and will mark the first Fleet Feet location in the Dallas area in the brand’s 44-year history. Once the Plano location opens, Fleet Feet will have 12 stores in Texas serving Austin, Corpus Christi, Dallas, Houston, Round Rock, and San Antonio.
“Fleet Feet first entered the Texas market over 30 years ago with Jim and Claudette Braden, who, along with their son Danny, have created an amazing blueprint for how local owners and operators can create, support, outfit and nurture a vibrant running and walking community,” said Robyn Goby, vice president of development for Fleet Feet. “We are excited by the opportunities in both San Antonio, Dallas and other Texas markets potentially, to continue serving communities, supporting runners and walkers and outfitting our customers with the best in-store experience possible,” she continued.
San Antonio’s third location will open in The Forum at the Olympia Parkway retail center with the current San Antonio General Manager, Kirsten Mengden. Originally from Minnesota, Mengden has lived in San Antonio, TX for 25 years and has spent the past seven years working for Fleet Feet.
The store will mimic the format of Fleet Feet’s Austin, TX location, which sets a brand record for sales by a first-year store and offers an in-store shoe selection from all the major running brands in lieu of a wide selection of apparel.
The Plano, TX location will open in the Preston Towne Crossing retail center, with Ashley Enloe managing operations. Enloe brings years of operations and running retail experience to the location having previously managed three Texas-based running stores, overseeing operations of a footwear distribution center and time in the hotel and restaurant management industry. A graduate of Fleet Feet’s Leadership Development Program, Enloe trained at Fleet Feet’s flagship retail location in Cary, NC.
Garrett Sage, who previously oversaw all operations of the two current San Antonio, TX stores, will work in a management role across several Fleet Feet locations, to implement initiatives and operating best practices while providing guidance to Enloe, Mengden and Ari Perez, Austin, TX’s general manager. Sage joins Brett Albers in becoming one of two regional managers working within these newly created leadership roles for the brand.
“Fleet Feet continues to evolve and set the pace for how it helps its customers, communities and partners,” said Sage. “I feel privileged to play an expanded role in supporting Kirsten, Ashley and Ari.”
Founded in 1976, Fleet Feet is the largest franchisor of locally owned and operated running stores with 182 locations in 37 states.
Photo courtesy Fleet Feet
