The Gym Pod franchise
2023 filing · February 28, 2023
The Gym Pod at a glance
A small private gym pod that members book for solo workouts. At the end of 2022 there were 3 The Gym Pod locations in the US, all company-owned.
The business
- Franchisor
- The Gym Pod Franchising LLC
- The company that sells the franchises
- Franchisor based in
- Springfield, Illinois
- Typical size
- 200–400 sq ft
What you pay
- Cost to open
- $55K–$128K
- Fee, build-out and opening working capital
- Franchise fee
- $20,000
- Paid once, when you sign
- Royalty
- 7%
- 7% of gross sales, deducted from each sale
- Brand fund
- Yes
- Up to 2% of gross sales
- Renewal fee
- $10,000
- When the agreement ends and you sign again
- Agreement length
- 5 years
- Territory
- Limited
- Limited protection
- Franchisor financing
- None offered
Where it is
- US locations, 2022
- 3
- Franchised and company-owned
- Franchised
- 0
- Company-owned
- 3
- Change in 2 years
- 0
- Franchised locations, 2020–2022
- States
- 1
- Most in Illinois
From The Gym Pod Franchising LLC’s 2023 filing; SBA status from the SBA Franchise Directory, October 28, 2026.
Where it ranks
The Gym Pod among all franchises with the same figure.
| Figure | The Gym Pod | Among all franchises |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, midpointHalfway between the low and high estimate | $91,325 | Costs less than 89% of franchises |
| Franchise feePaid once, when you sign | $20,000 | Lower than 89% of franchises |
| RoyaltyShare of sales paid to the franchisor | 7% | Higher than 70% of brands with a set rate |
| US locationsFranchised and company-owned | 3 | Fewer than 78% of franchises |
How much a The Gym Pod franchise costs
Opening one The Gym Pod costs an estimated $54,650 to $128,000. That covers the franchise fee and everything else needed to open, through the first months of working capital. It is one of the low-cost franchises.
The biggest costs are construction and leasehold improvements ($8,000 to $30,000) and initial franchise fee ($20,000). Here is every line of the estimate as filed:
| What it pays for | Range | Low | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Fee | $20,000 | ||
| Construction and Leasehold Improvements | $8,000 | $30,000 | |
| Lease Deposits – Three Months | $2,000 | $8,000 | |
| Furniture, Fixtures and Equipment | $7,300 | $16,200 | |
| Signage | $1,000 | $6,000 | |
| Automation System, Software and Business Management System | $4,500 | ||
| Grand Opening Marketing | $2,500 | ||
| Initial Inventory | $0 | $1,000 | |
| Utility Deposits | $200 | $800 | |
| Insurance Deposits – Three Months | $400 | $2,000 | |
| When Due Travel for Initial Training | $750 | $2,000 | |
| Professional Fees | $2,000 | $15,000 | |
| Licenses and Permits | $1,000 | $5,000 | |
| Additional Funds – Three Months | $5,000 | $15,000 | |
| Total | $54,650 | $128,000 | |
Source: The Gym Pod Franchising LLC, 2023 filing, page 19
The Gym Pod franchise fee
The franchise fee is $20,000. You pay it when you sign the franchise agreement.
Source: The Gym Pod Franchising LLC, 2023 filing, page 12
Royalty and ongoing fees
| Royalty | 7% of gross sales, deducted from each sale. |
|---|---|
| Brand or marketing fund | Up to 2% of gross sales. |
| Technology | Up to $1,000 per month, currently $315 per month |
| Renewal | $10,000 |
| Local Marketing | 2% of Gross Sales |
The typical franchise royalty is 6% of sales, plus 2% for marketing. See franchise fees and royalties to compare.
Source: The Gym Pod Franchising LLC, 2023 filing, page 14
Other fees as filed, from pages 14–16. The filing lists every fee, including late fees and audit costs.
Sales and earnings
No figures The Gym Pod does not share sales or profit figures for its locations. Talking to current and former franchise owners is the usual way to learn what a location earns.
Source: The Gym Pod Franchising LLC, 2023 filing, page 51
How The Gym Pod compares
Of the 92 gym franchises on this site, The Gym Pod is the 2nd cheapest to open and the 70th largest by number of locations.
| Figure | The Gym Pod | Typical gym brand | Typical franchise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, low end | $55K | $342K | $222K |
| Cost to open, high end | $128K | $653K | $477K |
| Franchise fee | $20K | $50K | $40K |
| Royalty | 7% | 6.5% | 6% |
| US locations | 3 | 17 | 21 |
| Shares earnings figures | No | 53 of 92 | 2,147 of 3,352 |
Typical is the median across the 92 brands in gym franchises; typical franchise, across every brand here.
Locations opened and closed
| Year | Franchised | Company-owned | Opened | Closed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 0 (0) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 (0) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 (0) | 3 | – | – |
Closed or left counts terminations, non-renewals, locations bought back by the franchisor and locations that stopped operating.
See which brands grew most in the fastest-growing franchises rankings.
More in the guides: fitness franchise costs and franchise failure rates.
Source: The Gym Pod Franchising LLC, 2023 filing, page 52
Where The Gym Pod locations are
At the end of 2022, The Gym Pod had locations in 1 state. The most are in Illinois.
- Illinois3
| State | Franchised | Company-owned | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Illinois | 0 | 3 | 3 |
Source: The Gym Pod Franchising LLC, 2023 filing, page 53
Who owns The Gym Pod?
The Gym Pod franchises are sold by The Gym Pod Franchising LLC. Its filing names no parent company.
From The Gym Pod Franchising LLC’s 2023 filing, page 8.
Lawsuits and bankruptcy
| Lawsuits and regulatory actions | None. The filing says no litigation has to be disclosed. |
|---|---|
| Bankruptcy | None. The filing says no bankruptcy has to be disclosed. |
Franchisors must disclose lawsuits and bankruptcies involving the company, its parents and affiliates, and its executives. Many cases are routine disputes with franchisees over fees or contracts; read the descriptions in the filing and ask current owners about anything that worries you.
Source: The Gym Pod Franchising LLC, 2023 filing, litigation on page 11, bankruptcy on page 11
The Gym Pod filings
The figures on this page come from The Gym Pod Franchising LLC’s 2023 filing, issued February 28, 2023, on record with the NASAA Electronic Filing Depository.
| Filing | Issued | Registry | On this page |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 filing | February 28, 2023 | NASAA depository | Costs, fees and locations, 2020–2022 |
Each link opens the filing as a PDF. See the newest filings across all brands.
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