From Dorm Room to Retail: How Rhoback's First Store Brings Their Digital Brand to Life

The first time Rhoback co-founders Matt (MBA ’16) and Kristina Loftus (MBA ’17) spotted someone wearing one of their polos on Charlottesville’s Downtown Mall, it stopped them in their tracks.

“I freaked out and ran over to figure out how they knew about the brand,” Matt recalled. “Seeing it, especially here in Charlottesville, is the coolest feeling in the world and something we’re extremely grateful for.”

Rhoback, the lifestyle activewear brand the couple launched with co-founder Kevin Hubbard, is known for its high-performance apparel that blends athletic function with a clean, lifestyle-inspired look. The brand has become recognizable for its emphasis on comfort, standout design and its logo, modeled after the Loftuses’ dog, Bunker.

What began as a class project at the University of Virginia Darden School of Business has grown into a 100-person company with over 3 million products sold online.

Now, the Loftuses are ready to move to a new, even higher level.

This weekend, Rhoback opened the doors on its first brick-and-mortar retail store, a 1,200 square-foot store in the Barracks Road Shopping Center that has been meticulously designed to showcase Rhoback’s product line and quality and distinct vibe in ways that might not convey as readily online.

“We want people to walk into the store and understand who we are as a brand – feel the energy, see the versatility and know that it’s for them,” Kristina said. “That’s hard to communicate digitally, so the store gives us a new way to bring Rhoback to life.”

New Chapter: Why Charlottesville, Why Now

Rhoback has come a long way since Kristina and Bunker crisscrossed the East Coast in a pickup truck with a teardrop camper in tow, setting up at trunk shows and trade events. From teaching herself how to design clothing using Photoshop courses on Youtube to launching a full women’s line, Kristina was intentional about timing. The brand needed a complete catalogue, menswear and womenswear, before opening its first store.

“We didn’t want to launch as store until we could fully represent both sides of the brand,” Kristina said. “Now, with nearly half our customers being women, we’re finally at a place where our retail presence can reflect that.”

That same thoughtfulness extended to the physical retail experience. The store’s design reflects Rhoback’s signature energy: fun, active and quality-driven. The layout is intentionally designed to spotlight the full product range, especially the growing women’s collection.

Walking into Rhoback’s first retail store, the team hopes, should feel like stepping into the heart of the brand. From the fabrics to the playlists, every detail is designed to bring the digital brand to life in a way that isn’t as easily captured online.

“The first thing we want people to do is really get to know the product, feel the fabric, understand the intention behind each piece, and see how the products differ depending on how you live your life,” Matt explained. “Whether you’re running, golfing or heading to work, we want that versatility to come through.”

“There’s also an opportunity to cater to the senses in-store in a way that we just can’t online,” Kristina added. “We care deeply about music – it’s part of our social media, our ads, our brand voice, so we built a playlist of fun, soulful songs.”

Charlottesville, they both agree, was a natural choice for the store. Three years ago, the Rhoback team decided to try a warehouse sale in Charlottesville. They expected a couple dozen people. More than a thousand showed up. The overwhelming support turned into an annual tradition and planted the seed for something more.

While they considered other locations, launching in Charlottesville felt like a full-circle moment in the town where the Loftuses first honed their vision, with help from the UVA and Darden communities.

UVA Community at the Core

From the start, the Loftuses credit Darden and Charlottesville as central to Rhoback’s story. What began as a class project quickly became a community-driven effort fueled by classmates, professors and friends who believed in their vision.

“We set out to create this brand and relied so heavily on our classmates, professors, mentors and alumni just to get connected with people in the field,” Matt said. “The Darden community was right there helping us figure it out.”

Classmates became early brand ambassadors, spreading the word in their own cities and workplaces. This support also extended to Rhoback’s first sales, with some of their first big orders coming from the Darden Racquet Club and the Darden Golf Club. “All of our friends became our biggest champions,” they shared. “They helped us get the brand off the ground.”

Several Darden professors played key roles in shaping Rhoback’s foundation, including Luann Lynch, who taught the Loftuses accounting and served as an early mentor.

“They were delightful students who worked very hard,” Lynch said. “Both were driven and insightful, and even then, you could see their entrepreneurial spirit. I was mostly a cheerleader, just thrilled to watch their growth as entrepreneurs.”

That entrepreneurial mindset, rooted in their Darden experience, continues to guide Rhoback today. Even as the brand grew, Charlottesville continued to anchor Rhoback’s identity.

“It all stems from Charlottesville,” Matt said. “We’re lucky enough to now be shipping orders around the world, but our roots are here. The coolest part has been seeing amazing talent move to Charlottesville to take a chance on working at Rhoback and growing the brand.”

Yet even with a strong foundation and community support, building a major brand presented its own challenges, from sourcing fabrics to being noticed in a crowded market.

Early Challenges and Lessons Learned

Despite Rhoback’s success today, the Loftuses faced early challenges, starting with building a supply chain.

“We really didn’t know where to start, so we counted on connections we made, especially through the UVA and Darden network,” Matt said. “We went to every trade show we could, networking and trying to find vendors and manufacturers willing to take a chance on us.”

Their persistence paid off when they found trusted manufacturers in South Korea with standout fabrics and samples. Before signing an agreement, they flew across the world to meet the team in person, pitching the long-term vision of Rhoback.

“We loved the product, but more importantly, we wanted them to see how serious we were,” Matt said. “Most manufacturers get approached with demands to cut costs or increase quality, but we showed up with a partnership mentality.”

That partnership grew from a small initial order to a lasting relationship, with Rhoback now their largest client. “We’re lucky they took a chance on us,” Matt said. “They saw our passion and believed in what we were building.”

With production in place, the next challenge was getting people to notice.

Unlike many start-ups, the Loftuses chose not to raise outside funding, even for marketing. Instead, they relied on low-cost, grassroots strategies: guerrilla marketing at trunk shows and producing their own social media content. That scrappy, self-reliant approach became a hidden strength when the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020.

“Trunk shows stopped, and we had to really hunker down,” Kristina said. “Pausing trunk shows and shifting focus to digital marketing ended up being a blessing in disguise. We got really good at selling online and we’ve been focused on that ever since.”

Even with a clear brand vision, those early hurdles tested their persistence and helped the Loftuses develop the strategy and mindset that still differentiate Rhoback today.

Finding a Gap in the Market

Before launching Rhoback, the Loftuses noticed that existing activewear and golf apparel didn’t resonate with their generation.

“We were creating content for different apparel brands but never found one that truly resonated with us,” Matt said. “Growing up, we all loved Nike, but so many activewear brands were following the same formula, chasing elite athletes and sticking to traditional sports marketing.”

As avid golfers, the Loftuses felt that the golf apparel space was outdated, targeting an older, exclusive audience through pro shops. Meanwhile, brands like Lululemon were innovating with modern fabrics and designs. After exploring their idea thoroughly in their Starting New Ventures course with Professor Saras Sarasvathy, they saw their opening.

“There was such a huge opportunity in the middle of these worlds to build a lifestyle activewear brand that could speak to younger consumers, tap into the golf market and sell directly online with great fabrics and a modern feel,” Matt said.

Rhoback stands out in a notoriously challenging apparel market because of their relentless focus on top-quality, innovative fabrics and subtle yet distinctive designs that catch attention without overwhelming. Their dedication to craftsmanship shines through, especially with their signature polos.

“We wanted each product to be the best on the market, even if it took years to develop,” they said. “Our first product, the polo, took two years. We made the collar more structured and the fit slimmer, targeting 25- to 35-year-old men. It became our bestseller because of those details.”

With years of careful development behind each product, the Loftuses have gained insights that go beyond making great apparel. They’ve learned what it takes for an entrepreneur to turn an idea into a thriving business.

Advice for Future Entrepreneurs

The Loftuses’ journey from a startup to a national performance brand proves that great ideas don’t require perfect experience, just creativity, focus and grit.

Kristina encourages aspiring founders to see their lack of experience as an advantage. “Not being from the industry can actually be your superpower,” she said. “You don’t see the barriers that might stop someone else. Stay laser-focused on your goal and tune out the noise.”

For current Darden students, Matt echoed Kristina’s sentiment and added simple advice: take the leap.

“If you’re considering starting something while you’re at Darden, do it,” he said. “You have more time and support than you think. We probably would’ve been voted least likely to make it with a T-shirt company, but you never know. Take the shot – it’s worth trying.”