WICKER PARK — Just when you thought ramen, scone and artisanal ice cream shops were the only new neighborhood spots, a sports nutrition franchise offering vitamins, supplements and weight loss consultation is headed to Wicker Park.
By his own admission, Dave Montgomery, the 50-year-old owner of Wicker Park's Max Muscle, set to open in May at 1902 W. North Ave., is "not a muscle head."
"It is a mid-life career change. I'm doing something now that I'm really interested in, which is helping people. I was not helping people before; I was helping the government and corporations," Montgomery said.
Montgomery, who formerly worked as a labor and employment attorney, added, "Well, Mitt Romney would argue that corporations are people."
Montgomery and the Max Muscle storefront, next to Rapid Transit Cycleshop:
After spending 25 years drafting legal briefs, Montgomery suffered a bit of stress when a "Whats your goal?" question on his new storefront's banner came back from a printer sans apostrophe.
"I tried fixing it on my own but don't think it worked," Montgomery said on Sunday.
One block east of the Milwaukee, Damen and North intersection, Max Muscle will be the city's first outpost of the Los Angeles-based franchise, which started in 1991 by former L.A. Raiders linebacker, Joe Wells, and has around 140 locations nationwide.
The Wicker Park store, which will bring four new jobs to the area, will be Montgomery's first Max Muscle franchise but he said he hopes to eventually open more.
Another Max Muscle, owned by a different franchisee, is scheduled to debut in Lincoln Park this summer. There is an existing store in Arlington Heights.
Though Montgomery said he imagines that the local demographic of professional young people — many of whom are already fit and in shape — will be his target customer, he said he also wants to serve folks who are not in shape.
"I'm most looking forward to working with the people who are not leading a healthy lifestyle right now. I'm not a muscle head and have been through ups and downs in my diet too," he said.
Nutrition counseling at a Max Muscle store:
When asked why he selected Wicker Park for his franchise, Montgomery, who lives in Old Town, said the proximity of several gyms along North Avenue helped factor into the decision.
"Wicker Park is one of the most vibrant, exciting neighborhoods in the city. So much is happening in the neighborhood, and I want to be part of that. I think a good supplement and vitamin store with excellent service is needed here," he said.
He added, "Admittedly, I want to be near all the great restaurants that have opened."
The nearest sports nutrition shop to Max Muscle is The Vitamin Shoppe, 1303 N. Milwaukee Ave., which replaced a Blockbuster last year.
Max Muscle, 1902 W. North Ave. Ph: 773-770-3431. For updates, visit the shop's Facebook page or follow Max Muscle on Twitter at @MaxMuscleChi.
Construction now underway:
