Major Anytime Fitness Franchisee Acquired, Plans Expansion
Omega Fitness is eyeing new Anytime locations across the U.S. following a deal with Rainier Partners
Omega Fitness, the second largest Anytime Fitness franchisee in the U.S. with 70 gyms, has been acquired by Seattle-based private equity firm Rainier Partners.
The company will be led by franchise operators Andy Gundlach and Russ Allen, who formed Omega Fitness and are known as two of the top operators in the Anytime Fitness system, which has over 5,000 franchised locations in 50 countries. The franchisees will partner with Rainier to expand Omega Fitness while optimizing operations in its existing Anytime Fitness clubs across Wisconsin, California and Florida.
Allen noted that he and fellow operator Gundlach recognized the need for a partner with deep fitness industry experience, resources and capabilities to support future growth.
“Rainier’s partnership-driven approach, coupled with enthusiasm for the future of our company and Anytime Fitness, solidified our confidence in this transformative alliance,” Allen said.
Gundlach noted Omega Fitness had an “abundance of interest” from the private equity community, but partnering with Rainer was the right decision.
“As we look to the future, acquisitions will continue to be a key element to our growth strategy, along with building new locations across the U.S. and implementing best practices in all of our gyms, drawing on my team’s experience and Russ,” Gundlach said.
Rainier co-founder and managing partner Jon Altman noted that the firm is excited to be an early investor in the Anytime Fitness system.
Anytime Fitness, under parent company Self Esteem Brands, is seeing strong demand for its fitness brand, reporting a solid third quarter with double-digit gains in same-store sales compared to the same period in 2022 and a 20% increase in daily club visits versus 2019.
The fitness franchise now projects a record-breaking one million daily member visits come January 2024 and has fortified its position in the fitness industry through a partnership with Apple — crowning Anytime as Apple’s first partner in the gym space. The deal with the tech titan supports Anytime Fitness members in sleep, meditation, recovery and nutrition.
“This partnership with Apple is so important to us, because now outside of the gym, we can help members with meditation, we can help them with walking more…there are 12 different modalities,” Anytime Fitness CEO Chuck Runyon told Athletech News earlier this month.
Runyon also shared that Anytime Fitness has been in talks with Apple regarding HealthKit, a storage bank for health and fitness data on iPhone and Apple Watch that would allow members to become the “CEO” of their own health.
