“You can tell it’s a factory. It’s in Port Melbourne, in an industrial area, but as soon as you walk in it is a warm, zen feeling, and you forget you’ve walked into a factory,” Solomos said.

From start to finish, it took just 88 days to transform the Port Melbourne site from a “dog’s breakfast” to the fitness mecca that it is today. The day after he inquired about purchasing the site, Solomos says the then-owner took off on holiday to Mykonos.

Rushing to get things moving, Solomos co-ordinated the sale overseas. “Do you want a deal or not?” he asked.

“We got the deal done in seven days and from that point we just went bang.”

Traditionally located in the outer suburbs, Port Melbourne is the first Derrimut 24:7 Gym in the inner city. Solomos says he and Owen quickly realised the demographic differed from the likes of other locations such as Airport West and Oakleigh, prompting the installation of their first-ever bike rack.

“You’ve got to treat each location on its own merit. We’ve learnt a lot from this, that’s for sure,” he said.

It’s been nearly a decade since Solomos’ life took a dramatic turn when he survived the targeted shooting outside his home.

A judge later clarified that Solomos was an innocent victim in the attack, an assertion he echoed in a police press conference, dispelling rumours of ties to organised crime.

“Something’s not right. It just doesn’t add up with my lifestyle,” Solomos said at the time.

“I’ll just put it out there that we’re not involved in organised crime, we’re not affiliated with anyone. We’re a family-owned business.”

While his personal life and business ventures have both made headlines, Solomos remains unfazed by outside opinions.

“It’s water off a duck’s back,” he said. “I don’t really go on social media to look at comments. It’s really not important, it’s what our internal circle thinks.”

He adds, “I actually don’t care.” And has a sharp retort for critics: “People like you are a great spectator of the sport, but you’ve never played the game. You can tell everyone how to run their business, but you don’t have one yourself.”

Loading

For Solomos, the secret to running a successful business is simple: “You need two things – big balls, and no brains.” Or, as his chief executive Owen eloquently rephrased, “An appetite to innovate.”

“As we’ve evolved, our mark is bigger is better,” Solomos said.

“It’s no secret. You go to any of our gyms, and we’re busy all the time. People come in and out non-stop, it’s like Costco.”

At 11am on a Wednesday, it’s clear that’s no exaggeration. The Port Melbourne gym has been open for less than a month and is already crawling with members. Solomos says attracting new members is the “endgame”, and with memberships priced as low as $13.95 per week, it’s not a tall task.

At Port Melbourne, a $13.95 weekly membership grants members access to all 27 locations, as well as reformer Pilates, saunas, a women-only gym, and more.

So how is it so cheap? Solomos says the better question to ask is: “Why isn’t everyone else so competitive?”

“It shouldn’t be a privilege to walk into a centre like this. It should be accessible to everyone,” he said.

The original Derrimut 24:7 Gym, based in Melbourne’s north-western suburb of Derrimut, was founded in 2010. Back then, Solomos was working around the clock to keep the business afloat, unable to afford wages for employees.

Today, the franchise employs more than 800 people, and Solomos credits the selflessness of his team as the cornerstone to their success.

“We’ve got the best team in the world and I don’t say that as a cliche,” Solomos said. “Iron sharpens iron.”

“If you told me 10 years ago this is where you’d be, in Port Melbourne, I’d laugh.”

The Business Briefing newsletter delivers major stories, exclusive coverage and expert opinion. Sign up to get it every weekday morning.