Crunch Fitness Looks to Crush 2025
ATN caught up with CEO Jim Rowley following Crunch’s annual franchise convention
With only four months remaining in 2024, Crunch Fitness is already reflecting on a momentous year that saw the average opening of more than one new club per week – a feat that Crunch Fitness CEO Jim Rowley expects the high-value, low-priced (HVLP) gym network to top in 2025.
The “No Judgements” gym brand bolstered its team this year as it gained ground, appointing former Pizza Hut executive Chequan Lewis as president, former Xponential Fitness international development chief John Kersh as its managing director of international development and Molly Long as its new chief operating officer.
Fresh from Crunch’s annual franchise convention this month in Arizona, Rowley spoke with Athletech News about Crunch’s vision for 2025 and how the fast growing gym brand is on track to becoming the premiere leader in the HVLP space.
Leveling Up
The NY-based fitness franchise had unveiled an aggressive expansion plan for this year, invigorated by the post-pandemic demand for in-person fitness but also rolling out Crunch+ to offer members on-demand and live-stream workouts for added flexibility. Now with 2025 quickly approaching, Crunch is looking to become a household name worldwide.
“We’re at this place in the Crunch history, where we’re 35 years old as a company, 15 years old as a franchise company, and we’re meeting great milestones, but it’s also time for us to level up and create a distinction between ourselves and the competition,” Rowley said.
Part of that distinction is tuning into the positivity that Gen Z longs for — the kind that’s reflected in Crunch’s ‘Feel Good, Not Bad’ ad campaign, which presents Crunch gyms as a haven from a stressful world and where a workout results in a mood boost. A similar message carried over into the franchise convention, Rowley said, where an Olympic-style charity event benefiting Future for Kids took place.
“In a world where there’s a lot of anxiety, stress, depression — just concerns about overall well-being — we’ve had this message going out about ‘Feel the Good’ at Crunch,” he said, adding that Crunch donated nearly 100 sports bags filled with athletic gear to support the youth in Phoenix.
“For me as a CEO, it was incredibly rewarding to sense the momentum, the strong belief in Crunch, and to continue to pursue all that Crunch can be,” Rowley said of the convention.
Pickleball Pilot
While Crunch offers its members group fitness classes, HIIT zones, Olympic weightlifting platforms, personal training, recovery amenities and more, the gym brand is mindful that maintaining a youthful, Gen Z-appealing ethos is just as important.
“Our members are young, strong and social, and the appeal of Crunch — not just for what we offer inside the box — but I think that our members are looking to associate with a brand that they trust and have values that are aligned with their values,” Rowley said.
Aligning with the expectations of younger consumers has also meant keeping a pulse on the latest trends in fitness and sports — like pickleball. Known as America’s fastest-growing sport, pickleball has become front and center of Crunch’s new pilot program following a collaboration with Break the Love.
The initiative sees ‘Pickleballers’ – a high-intensity, eight-week class offered at six Crunch locations this summer in New York, New Jersey and Los Angeles for pickleball players that want to level up their game. It’s an experiment that’s been “wildly successful,” according to Rowley.
“It’s incredible how many people are participating because they’re new to pickleball, they’re interested in pickleball, or maybe they’re active in pickleball, and they want to do a fun exercise class that’s related to it,” he said.
Ongoing Growth
In addition to its pickleball initiative, Crunch is looking ahead to continue growth and a steadfast commitment to its franchisees – which has landed the HVLP brand in the top spot on Entrepreneur’s Franchise 500 list in the fitness category.
The Crunch concept has also attracted a notable name in football: Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott, who partnered with CR Fitness Holdings, the largest operator of Crunch Fitness franchise locations, earlier this spring. Prescott will help expand the brand in Dallas and beyond while appearing in Crunch Fitness commercials and social media posts. CR Fitness also recently announced it had acquired two New York Sports Club locations in Florida, which will be rebranded to Crunch.
And even with unfavorable conditions in terms of construction costs and competition for real estate space, Rowley is undaunted, revealing that Crunch will likely open two gyms per week next year.
Part of Crunch’s vision to become a household name includes building on its international presence, expanding beyond North America, Spain, Portugal and Australia.
Rowley shared that the gym brand has had “significant attraction” from the Middle East, Asia-Pacific, Western Europe and South America. However, there’s still much excitement even closer to home, with Rowley noting that the Crunch brand is “electric” in Canada, where three new clubs are set to open soon.
Rowley is one of ATN’s 50 Power Players for 2024. See the full list.
