Joe DeLuca

Starting February 15, the ground floor of the Tapp’s Building will open as THEfactory, an athletic club and the new home of TheFIRM. Putting all this together is Joe DeLuca, owner and manager of the Athletic Factory in the Vista. And the good news is THEfactory is free from February 15–28.

DeLuca grew up in Old Tappan, NJ, 12 miles north of the George Washington Bridge. He graduated from USC with a BS in exercise science. He worked in performance training and personal training at Personally Fit while in school, and he soon went to work at the Athletic Factory on lower Lady Street. He bought the Athletic Factory as the sole owner.

The idea behind THEfactory was the desirability of the space in the Tapp’s Building. DeLuca is sub–leasing from the city for the next seven years. The building owner is Mainstream Group V LLP of Florida. The previous tenant occupied the ground floor only, and the basement was left empty and unproductive. THEfactory can make good use of both floors, and the business can make especially good use of the 50,000 people within walking distance, including USC.

Joe DeLuca in front of THEfactory Photo by John Temple Ligon To attract new members, DeLuca is projecting images all night against the shop window’s back wall at the corner of Main and Blanding, where mannequins in the latest fashions used to stand. Also, THEfactory’s web site is up: www.thefactoryattapps.com.

The Athletic Factory’s oldest member is 80 years old, but the bell curve of customers is dominated by 30– and 40–somethings evenly split between men and women. 

He expects a similar population distribution at THEfactory, although TheFIRM might kick in a little imbalance weighted with women.

DeLuca’s personnel will consist of 45 instructors, 12 personal trainers, and 15 desk staff. Operating hours at THEfactory will be from 5 am until 10 pm, Monday through Thursday, and until 8 pm on Friday. On Saturday and Sunday, the hours are from 7 am until 7 pm. A general membership will cost $60 per month, but that can be lowered to $55 if it’s paid by direct bank draft. A family membership is available at $50 per family member.

Personal trainers can be hired at $30 for a half– hour session. An hour with a personal trainer is $45.

Parking on weekends and after five in the afternoon shouldn’t be a problem, and during business days the parking lot behind Villa Tronco is available, besides the curbside parking. At the corner of Taylor and Sumter the city should break ground soon on another parking garage. DeLuca would like to see the city reconsider the parking meter’s worth. Some cities seem to work well without meters, and DeLuca suggests Columbia at least experiment a little. 

DeLuca is looking forward to when his section of Main Street is brought up to the standards put in place between Gervais Street and Hampton Street. The city’s plan is to continue the upgrade soon to Elmwood Avenue. DeLuca says it can’t happen too soon.