Degree Wellness plans first Austin cold therapy studio for 2027 open

Degree Wellness is betting South Congress can support one more recovery stop, and it is doing it with a full studio play, not just a cold tub in the corner. The company’s first Austin location is filed for 4411 Congress Ave., Austin, TX 78745, with an interior finish-out slated to run from June 1, 2026, to September 28, 2026, at an estimated cost of $300,000. Franchise co-owner Brad Cellio is targeting an early 2027 opening as permitting and build-out move ahead.

The Austin outpost will lean hard into the recovery mix that has helped Degree build a following elsewhere. Its service list includes cryotherapy, infrared sauna, cold plunge, red light therapy, contrast therapy, light facial treatments, oxygen therapy, compression massage, IV therapy, nutrient shots and NAD+ treatments. That combination makes the concept more than a single-purpose plunge room, and it points to the kind of customer Degree is courting: people trying to manage burnout, sleep, energy and day-to-day recovery through a routine they can actually keep.

That strategy matters in a neighborhood like South Congress, where a wellness business has to feel local fast. Cellio has framed the area as one of Austin’s fastest-growing and most vibrant corridors, and Degree wants to be embedded there from day one instead of operating as a destination people only visit once in a while. Founding memberships are expected to launch in fall 2026, giving the brand a way to lock in early regulars before the doors open for good.

Degree is also not arriving as a startup experiment. The brand began in Jacksonville in 2018, was franchised in 2024, and now says it has roughly 80 studios across 20 states. Its footprint includes Texas, Florida, Arizona and Arkansas, with 13 Texas locations either open or in development. That scale shows the Austin project is part of a wider expansion push, not a one-off test market.

The timing fits a market that has already pushed cold exposure into the mainstream. Mayo Clinic Press has noted the boost from Dutch cold-water figure Wim Hof, while recent expert coverage still says the evidence base is held back by small sample sizes, short study periods and other limitations. Market data also points to strong demand, with the global cold plunge tub market valued at about US$338 million in 2024 and projected to approach $483 million by 2033. For Austin’s cold-therapy crowd, Degree is making a simple bet: if the neighborhood already wants recovery, a membership studio with cold plunge, sauna and adjacent therapies may turn that interest into a weekly habit.