JF Fitness, one of the leading operators in the Crunch Fitness network, has recently acquired six new Crunch Fitness locations—four in Mississippi and two in Florida. This expansion increases the company’s total number of locations to 33 and brings it closer to its goal of 60 Crunch gyms by 2028.
The Mississippi locations include gyms in Petal, Hattiesburg, D’Iberville, and Long Beach. JF Fitness confirmed the acquisition to Athletech News on Tuesday.
“This acquisition is a perfect fit for JF Fitness,” said John Freeland, founder and CEO of JF Fitness. “Mississippi marks our continued expansion along the Gulf Coast, and we are excited to bring fitness to this area, welcoming new members and employees to our family.”
In addition to Mississippi, JF Fitness recently acquired two Crunch gyms in Jacksonville, Florida—Regency Park and Harbour Village—earlier this month.
With backing from Dallas-based private equity firm Trive Capital and 808 Partners, JF Fitness has accelerated its growth plans in recent months. The company, already one of the top five Crunch Fitness franchise groups by unit count, is on track to operate 60 Crunch locations by 2028.
Founded in 2014 by Freeland in Richmond, Virginia, JF Fitness currently operates in eight states: Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Florida, and Mississippi. The group also holds rights to expand in Louisiana.
Freeland highlighted the Carolinas and Northern Florida, particularly Jacksonville, as key areas for growth. “We see a huge opportunity in the Carolinas,” he said. “We also plan to expand in Northern Florida, especially Jacksonville, where we already have two gyms. We could easily grow that number to six or eight gyms in the next few years.”
Ocala, Florida, is another market JF Fitness is considering for future expansion.
The high-value, low-price (HVLP) gym sector, particularly brands like Crunch, has been seeing significant consolidation. Freeland believes this trend has accelerated, especially after smaller gym operators faced challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic. Many of these smaller operators have either joined larger franchise groups or rebranded their gyms under established names like Crunch.
Crunch Fitness now operates more than 500 locations globally, with over three million members. Freeland is confident that Crunch will continue to dominate the HVLP gym market, thanks to its high-end amenities offered at affordable prices. These amenities include heated group fitness studios, infrared saunas, and more.
“Crunch aims to provide the quality and amenities of high-end gyms, but at a price point accessible to the vast majority of people,” Freeland added. “We’re offering a top-tier fitness experience for those who can’t afford the very high-end gyms.”
