PRIVATE EQUITY OWNED
Anytime Fitness
Includes AnytimeFitness
gym chain · Woodbury, MN
- PE Firm
- Roark Capital →
- Acquirer
- Self Esteem Brands
- Year Acquired
- 2017
Open 24/7. Until your location closes overnight without warning.
The PE Playbook
- Roark Capital invested in 2014, then merged parent with Orangetheory in 2024 into 'Purpose Brands' — a 7,000-location PE mega-entity
- Franchisees report being forced into $60,000 mandatory 'reinvention' upgrades while struggling financially
- Multiple locations closed overnight without warning — every Anytime Fitness in Lincoln, NE shut abruptly, leaving members locked out
- Franchise failure rate around 10%, with complaints of dirty facilities, broken equipment, and aggressive billing
Since the Acquisition
- Cancellation is notoriously difficult — members report being charged for months after requesting to cancel, with some sent to collections for disputing charges
- Auto-renewal contracts kick in without clear notification, locking members into another year of fees they never agreed to
- Equipment broken and unreplaced, facilities poorly maintained — franchise quality varies wildly with no corporate accountability
- Members report being unable to reach anyone by phone — customer service is virtually non-existent at many franchise locations