Gym Chain Planet Fitness to Open Second Cambridge Location

Planet Fitness is set to open its second location in Cambridge, taking over a 15,000-square-foot space at 625 Massachusetts Ave., Central Square. The gym chain is set to open in July 2022, a year after the location’s previous tenant, Boston Sports Club, closed its doors for good.

The former Boston Sports Club filed for bankruptcy protection in 2020 after the Covid-19 pandemic hit its business. The chain shut down multiple locations and rebranded itself under the New York Sports Club banner. Boston Sports Club’s image suffered another blow when a membership buyer Work Out World was sued by then attorney general Maura Healey for unlawfully charging clients annual fees without their consent. The case was settled in February 2022.

Supreme Fitness, the franchise group that owns Planet Fitness, assures customers that the new location is “exceptionally clean and state-of-the-art.” The gym chain will charge $10 monthly, a significant reduction from Boston Sports Club’s $60 monthly fee.

Michael Monestime, from the Central Square Business Improvement District, is excited about the gym’s arrival, stating that it offers an affordable way for people to stay mentally and physically fit. The new Planet Fitness location is expected to open from 5 a.m. on weekdays until 11 p.m., and until 10 p.m. on Fridays. Weekend hours are from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m.

Founded in 1992 in Dover, New Hampshire, Planet Fitness has over 18.1 million members and 2,446 locations across 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Canada, Panama, Mexico, and Australia, according to the company. With its budget-friendly membership price, the new location is likely to attract many people who have been holding off on joining a gym due to financial constraints.

In summary, the arrival of Planet Fitness’s second location in Cambridge offers an affordable gym option in the city’s Central Square area. As the third-largest gym chain in the United States, it has a reputation for being budget-friendly, which could make it all the more popular in post-Covid times, as customers seek value for their money.

Credit: cambridgeday.com

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