Crunch Fitness Heads To Sunny Sarasota To Open 18th Franchise And Second Florida Location

Enrollment Center Now Open For Memberships

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Jun 18, 2012, 03:12 ET

NEW YORK, June 18, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Crunch Fitness, the world-renowned health club chain known for being on the forefront of innovation with its unique and entertaining fitness programming, will open its newest franchise location in Sarasota, FL. Set to open for workouts in October 2012, Crunch Sarasota will mark the second Crunch Franchise to touch down in the Sunshine State, with another franchise location just down the Florida coast in Naples.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20090909/NY72689LOGO )

"Crunch's positive gym atmosphere and 'No Judgments' mantra has had an overwhelmingly positive response from the community, since the opening of Crunch Naples in January 2012," said Crunch franchisee, Vince Julien. "We are thrilled to be bringing a second location to southwest Florida and look forward to further spreading Crunch's fun approach to working out to the already fitness-friendly community of Sarasota."

Crunch Sarasota will join a bevy of popular businesses in its new location at 8440 Lockwood Ridge Rd, Sarasota, FL. The nearly 25,000 sq. ft. facility will feature over $600,000 in brand-new equipment, including state-of-the art cardio and weight training machines, a Kids Crunch childcare center, and a 2,600 sq. ft. group fitness studio to house classes like Zumba, BodyWeb with TRX and Fat Burning Pilates, to name a few. Expert personal trainers and an online fitness and nutrition program will also be available for members to help them reach their individual health and fitness goals.

"Crunch is what fun and fitness is all about," said Lisea Julien, who will also be spearheading the Group Fitness program at the club. "It's urban, innovative, creative, and gives Crunch a leading edge in any market they infiltrate."

Owners Vince Julien and Tony Scrimale are industry veterans with nearly three decades of experience in owning and operating fitness facilities. Together, the duo is responsible for building one of southwest Florida's most prominent brands, Southside Athletic Club.

"We are elated to re-enter the market with Crunch, one of the world's leading brands in fitness," said Scrimale. "Through superior training options, premier group fitness offerings and unbeatable price points, we want to let the community know that we are back and better than ever!"

An enrollment center is now open at 8440 Lockwood Ridge Rd and a dedicated Sarasota website, www.crunchsarasota.com is currently offering exclusive membership deals, including a special $0 enrollment offer for a limited time. Call (941) 355-1908 for more information. For more information about Crunch franchising opportunities go to www.crunchfranchise.com.

Crunch is a gym that believes in making serious exercise fun by fusing fitness and entertainment and pioneering a philosophy of No Judgments. Headquartered in New York City, and co-owned by New Evolution Ventures (NeV) and private-equity firm Angelo Gordon, Crunch serves over 150,000 members with 41 gyms worldwide, including 18 franchise locations in Orange County, CA, Sacramento, CA, San Diego, CA, Portland, OR, Norwalk, CT, Wayne, NJ and Australia, and looks to rapidly expand across the U.S. and around the globe. Go to www.crunchfranchise.com for more information.

About New Evolution Ventures™ (NeV) Based in Northern California, New Evolution Ventures (NeV) is a private equity firm focused on the acquisition, development and operations management of fitness, media and sports interests both domestically and internationally. Founded in 2008 by Mark Mastrov, Jim Rowley and Mike Feeney, and following a strategic partnership with Vision Capital in 2011, the current team of NeV professionals is shaping the world of fitness, media, and sports one brand at a time. With a foundation representing over a century of business experience, NeV currently has operations and investments in more than 20 countries worldwide representing over 800+ facilities. For more information, visit www.nev.com.

SOURCE Crunch Fitness