Blink Fitness, New York, announced it has signed three development agreements to open 18 new facilities across new markets in 2018.
Starting in early 2018, the Equinox sister brand will open 10 gyms in Richmond and Hampton Roads—its first locations in Virginia. At that same time, the company will begin opening its first three Boston-area locations. In late 2018, Blink Fitness will open five new gyms in its primary New York City market.
“We've been focused on finding franchisees who share our passion for delivering a high-quality proposition at a low price," Patricia Perry, vice president of franchise development for Blink, said in a media release provided to Club Industry. "We have definitely found that with these new development agreements."
Blink Fitness is also in the process of expanding to markets in Philadelphia and Los Angeles.
“We are fortunate to have had overwhelming interest in our fast-growing brand,” Blink Fitness President Todd Magazine said in the release. “We couldn’t be more thrilled to be bringing Blink’s differentiated concept to these new markets.”
Magazine estimates Blink Fitness will operate approximately 70 locations by the end of 2017, while gradually surpassing 300 locations over the next five years.
The initial investment to open a Blink Fitness franchise is between $637,000 and $2.1 million, not including $10,000 to $40,000 in franchise fees. The average gym employs 11 full- and part-time staff members and spans 12,000 to 18,000 square feet.
On Sept. 14, Blink Fitness announced a partnership with membership service ClassPass. The company has introduced a co-membership plan that gives Blink Fitness members the option to access all of the brand's nearly 60 locations, according to a media release.