I know we have at least one gym owner and several members here so what better place to ask? I also know there are many opinions as well as several ways to skin a cat. That being said, there is wisdom in many councilers and this board just gave me some great advice regarding friendships.
So, here is the history and the potential plan. My buddy purchased a 10k sf gym two yrs ago as it was taking on water. It was at one time thee place in town, all Hammer and Flex stuff, jungle and dbs to 150. But, after a series of bad owners and new commercial chain gyms taking over it lost members with every change. He bought it with the pitch of making it a hard corish gym, but folded on that idea initially and tried to compete with the big boys. But, he had no capital to invest, the A/C died in July after the building owner foreclosed on the building and on top he split the property with a gymnastics studio who had the other half. So, he shared the front desk, parking lot and bathrooms.
This had always been the way, but the gymnastics studio bought the building and as cool as they were started flexing a little bit making it more their place then the gyms. So, fast forward to my buddy asking me for advice. I said, if youre going to go down dont do it without a fight. Let's go with your original vision and go a little more hard core. He changed the name, moved things around, put up a wall so we could crank the tunes and we actually gained 200 members, but it was too little too late. We still were hemoraging money and answering to the the gymnastics studio and paying $7sf plus competing with planet fitness and two 24 hr fitness. So, when it came time to renew the lease the equiptment went into storage at my buddies wharehouse.
So, for three months he has looked for investors, but unless he could move it to some undeveloped area no one wants to touch it. We are in the burbs of Kansas City and flooded with commercial chains. There are two crappy gyms in my town, but people go there because well its all we got. The equiptment is old and one owner is a tool and the other bought the place because the previous owner couldnt foot the bill on 20k sf. Thats were I am at, but hate it.
Then two weeks ago, i said baby lets look for a small place to rent and i will buy a rack n bench and get a few friends to help pay the rent. Then I had a few rum n cokes and before i knew it I was meeting with him to propose a 3 to 5k place in some shitty wharehouse for serious lifters ala metroflex. Bare bones, clean, no selfies or gym bros. I think we can find an affordable location close to a major intersection and he is willing to part with some stuff, but the key would be memebrship fees would need to be like $60 month. I know most will shit on that but that's ok as we dont need or want everyone. I polled my friends and there are the more committed type who arent there to flirt or watch tiny guys post insagram pics and they would be in for 60. One even said, $100 but lets keep it real.
Anyway, burgers are done so I will wait to replies and comment more later.
Hawk
So, here is the history and the potential plan. My buddy purchased a 10k sf gym two yrs ago as it was taking on water. It was at one time thee place in town, all Hammer and Flex stuff, jungle and dbs to 150. But, after a series of bad owners and new commercial chain gyms taking over it lost members with every change. He bought it with the pitch of making it a hard corish gym, but folded on that idea initially and tried to compete with the big boys. But, he had no capital to invest, the A/C died in July after the building owner foreclosed on the building and on top he split the property with a gymnastics studio who had the other half. So, he shared the front desk, parking lot and bathrooms.
This had always been the way, but the gymnastics studio bought the building and as cool as they were started flexing a little bit making it more their place then the gyms. So, fast forward to my buddy asking me for advice. I said, if youre going to go down dont do it without a fight. Let's go with your original vision and go a little more hard core. He changed the name, moved things around, put up a wall so we could crank the tunes and we actually gained 200 members, but it was too little too late. We still were hemoraging money and answering to the the gymnastics studio and paying $7sf plus competing with planet fitness and two 24 hr fitness. So, when it came time to renew the lease the equiptment went into storage at my buddies wharehouse.
So, for three months he has looked for investors, but unless he could move it to some undeveloped area no one wants to touch it. We are in the burbs of Kansas City and flooded with commercial chains. There are two crappy gyms in my town, but people go there because well its all we got. The equiptment is old and one owner is a tool and the other bought the place because the previous owner couldnt foot the bill on 20k sf. Thats were I am at, but hate it.
Then two weeks ago, i said baby lets look for a small place to rent and i will buy a rack n bench and get a few friends to help pay the rent. Then I had a few rum n cokes and before i knew it I was meeting with him to propose a 3 to 5k place in some shitty wharehouse for serious lifters ala metroflex. Bare bones, clean, no selfies or gym bros. I think we can find an affordable location close to a major intersection and he is willing to part with some stuff, but the key would be memebrship fees would need to be like $60 month. I know most will shit on that but that's ok as we dont need or want everyone. I polled my friends and there are the more committed type who arent there to flirt or watch tiny guys post insagram pics and they would be in for 60. One even said, $100 but lets keep it real.
Anyway, burgers are done so I will wait to replies and comment more later.
Hawk
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