Flynn Group Triples Planet Fitness Portfolio in 98-Club Acquisition

Known for operating thousands of Taco Bell, Applebee’s and Wendy’s locations, Flynn Group is building up its fitness franchise portfolio

Flynn Group may know a lot about drive-thrus, but it isn’t skipping the gym.

The group has significantly expanded its Planet Fitness footprint with the acquisition of Grand Fitness Partners, a franchise operator with 98 locations across California, Florida, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Virginia.

The deal brings Flynn’s total number of Planet Fitness clubs to 141 across seven states and marks the second major fitness deal for Flynn Group, which entered the Planet Fitness system in 2023 through its purchase of Alder Partners and its 37 clubs, establishing Flynn Fitness.

Already the largest franchise operator and third-largest restaurant operator in the U.S., Flynn Group owns more than 3,000 restaurants spanning Applebee’s, Arby’s, Taco Bell, Panera, Pizza Hut and Wendy’s.

“We’re very excited to welcome the Grand Fitness teams and clubs into the Flynn Group family,” Flynn Group founder, chairman and CEO Greg Flynn said. “Health and wellness are on the minds of consumers more than ever before, and fitness is a natural complement to our core restaurant business.”

Planet Fitness CEO Colleen Keating called Flynn Group an accomplished operator and valued franchisee, saying the deal reflects the strength of the brand and the long-term growth potential of the fitness industry.

“We also thank Grand Fitness for more than 15 years as part of the Planet Fitness system and their commitment to expanding access and providing affordable fitness in the communities they served,” she said.

The high-value, low-price (HVLP) gym giant added 1.1 million net new members and reported $1.3 billion in full-year revenue, up 12.1%, in 2025. Keating recently signaled that GLP-1 users could be the next major untapped membership base, pointing to franchisee-commissioned survey findings that roughly half of people taking a GLP-1 medication consider joining a gym.

“We see positive indicators for continued growth and demand for our offering as GLP-1s become more accessible,” Keating told investors during Planet’s Q4 earnings call last month.

Planet Fitness reported immense success with its new members-only Perks partnership with telehealth platform Ro, which offers GLP-1 prescriptions. Keating called it the most successful program in Planet Fitness history, citing strong downloads and conversion rates.