Weakened finances
Hulking fitness chain permanently closes 3 Austin-area gyms due to coronavirus
Still reeling from the COVID-19 pandemic, the 24 Hour Fitness chain filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection June 15 and has permanently closed more than 130 locations in the U.S., including three in the Austin area.
The three Austin-area gyms that have shut down permanently are:
- 13802 N. U.S. Hwy. 183
- 12400 N I-35 Service Rd. S.
- 1208 N. I-35, Round Rock
The chain’s four remaining gyms in the area are reopening this month and next month:
- 1000 E. 41st St., June 19
- 10616 Research Blvd., June 19
- 4625 W. William Cannon Dr., July 7
- 1401 Town Center Dr., Pflugerville, July 7
“If it were not for COVID-19 and its devastating effects, we would not be filing for Chapter 11. With that said, we intend to use the process to strengthen the future of 24 Hour Fitness for our team and club members, as well as our stakeholders,” Tony Ueber, CEO of San Ramon, California-based 24 Hour Fitness, says in a release.
In a letter to customers, Ueber says the gyms that have been shut down permanently were either outdated or were close to other 24 Hour Fitness locations. The company still operates about 300 gyms in the U.S.
In May, 24 Hour Fitness rival Gold’s Gym International, based in Dallas, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. As a result of its financial troubles, Gold’s shuttered one of its Austin-area locations in May.
Aside from three gyms in the Austin area, 24 Hour Fitness has permanently closed 12 locations in the Houston area and 11 in Dallas-Fort Worth.