October 15, 2025

Building Boston’s Biggest Wellness Empire - Nico Varano Jr, SweatHouz

52 minutes

Connect with FranDawgs

Agape franchise opportunity: https://eatagape.com/franchise/

Buy a franchise: https://www.frandawgs.com/buy-a-franchise

Sell your franchise: https://www.fdcapitalgroup.com/

YouTube: FranDawgs Podcast

LinkedIn: Patrick Buckley

Episode Summary

At just 28, Nico Verano walked out of a private equity job and into the heat—literally. After hearing SweatHouz founder Jamie Weeks pitch the sauna-and-cold-plunge concept, Nico became the first franchisee and built five booming locations across Boston. In this episode, he shares how his father’s legendary Italian restaurant launch (featuring The Sopranos cast) shaped his risk-taking mindset, why he built three studios at once, and how old-school hospitality still wins in modern wellness.

We also dive into his new restaurant, My Mother’s Cutlets, and how teaming up with Boston influencer Kevin Cooney through their new venture, Twin Oaks, is redefining what franchise partnerships can look like.

Key Topics

Leaving a stable private-equity career to franchise SweatHouz

Lessons from his father’s restaurant success (and The Sopranos cameo)

The evolution from SweatHouz V1 → V2: turning wellness into luxury

Building three studios simultaneously — and staying profitable month one

Guerrilla marketing through mobile cold plunges and community fitness collabs

How hospitality and human connection drive retention in a digital world

Financial breakdown: margins, payback period, and unit-level performance

The origin of My Mother’s Cutlets — “the Italian Chipotle” of Boston

Partnering with Kevin Cooney to launch Twin Oaks Ventures

Bringing SweatHouz to New York City and what’s next for Nico’s empire

Notable Quotes

“In order to be successful, you gotta lay it down to pick it up.” — Nico’s father

“If you can’t find eight to nine people per hour in New York City, you’ve got a big problem.” — Nico Verano

“All people want to feel is special. Whether you’re selling meatballs or saunas—it’s the same thing.” — Nico Verano

Timestamps

0:00 — The SweatHouz origin story

4:00 — The Sopranos and the restaurant that started it all

8:00 — Lessons from taking the ultimate entrepreneurial swing

10:00 — From first franchisee to multi-unit owner

14:00 — What contrast therapy really does for the body and mind

17:00 — Guerrilla marketing and how SweatHouz built hype offline

21:00 — Building community through hospitality

26:00 — Scaling fast: building three locations at once

33:00 — Real numbers: margins, revenue, and payback

41:00 — Why hospitality beats AI

43:00 — Partnering with Kevin Cooney and launching Twin Oaks Ventures

47:00 — The story behind My Mother’s Cutlets

50:00 — Running multiple ventures without burning out

Connect with Nico

Instagram: @nicovaranojr, @mymotherscutlets

SweatHouz Boston: sweathouz.com

Twin Oaks Ventures: Coming soon

...more

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By Patrick Buckley

1111 ratings