The high-value, low-price gym chain signed its first new-to-system development deal in over a decade, betting fresh operators can reach markets left untapped.
Planet Fitness has signed three new area development agreements with Ian McClure of Gulf Coast Hotel Management, marking the first time in more than a decade the franchisor has opened new territory to an operator who did not join the system through acquisition. McClure will open more than a dozen gyms across Florida's west coast, a market the brand had previously held back from selling.
For years, new entrants to Planet Fitness bought their way in by acquiring existing operators, the path mega-franchisee Flynn Group took in 2023 and again this year with its purchase of 98-unit Grand Fitness Partners. Chief development officer Chip Ohlsson said the brand is refreshing its view of which markets it always intended to open to new operators, based on how the system and its competitive set have evolved.
The reopening comes as Planet Fitness works through a softer patch. Franchisees opened 36 locations in the first half of 2026, the company trimmed its growth outlook, and it paused a planned membership price increase earlier this year. Net new member additions have also slowed, with roughly 700,000 added in the first quarter compared with about 900,000 a year earlier.
Opening development to new-to-system operators signals that Planet Fitness wants to widen its buyer pool beyond existing large franchisees consolidating share, and that landlords are more willing to negotiate for a proven anchor tenant. Ohlsson said the company expects to open additional markets to new operators going forward, giving prospective multi-unit franchisees a fresh entry point into a system that had effectively been closed to newcomers for ten years.
Revscale Media (illustration)United PF Holdings, the largest Planet Fitness operator, is negotiating a debt-for-equity swap with lenders after missing interest payments.
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Revscale Media (illustration)Hospitality developer Ian McClure signed three area development deals to bring Planet Fitness clubs to Florida's west coast.
Revscale Media (illustration)The private equity firm's first Australian investment values the Planet Fitness franchisee at roughly $170 million and funds an aggressive club rollout.
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Revscale Media (illustration)A federal judge held Sept. 29 that Minnesota's ban on liquidated damages does not stop a franchisor from suing for the actual fees it lost when a franchisee left 13 years early.
