Anytime Fitness Ranked No. 1 on ‘Franchise 500’ List

Anytime Fitness has been ranked No. 1 on Entrepreneur magazine’s “Franchise 500” list. Entrepreneur evaluates a company’s overall size, its financial strength and its rate of growth when determining who goes on the “Franchise 500” list. Anytime Fitness is the first fitness franchise to be ranked No. 1 in the magazine’s history.

Anytime Fitness, founded in 2002 by Chuck Runyon, has since grown to include more than 2,300 clubs in 16 countries on five different continents. Nearly 2 million people worldwide are Anytime Fitness members, and the club has opened at least 250 new locations per year for the last six years. It took Anytime Fitness 10 years to reach the 2,000-franchise threshold, a feat that hasn’t been matched by corporations like McDonald’s (32 years to reach 2,000 franchises) and Subway (23 years).

“This designation as number one is a credit to our fabulous franchisees,” said Runyon, in a news release. “In addition to operating convenient and affordable gyms, our franchisees and their staffs provide our members with personal service that gets real results. That personal touch and high level of engagement is what differentiates Anytime Fitness from many other gyms and what has strengthened and grown our brand worldwide.”

Anytime Fitness operates while focusing on convenient access for members (24 hours a day, 365 days a year) while still maintaining affordability and an atmosphere of community. The franchise is known for its members getting the purple Anytime Fitness logo tattooed on their bodies (which they’re reimbursed for by the club).

Being named to the “Franchise 500” list isn’t the only honor bestowed on Anytime Fitness in the past year. The club was also named by Forbes as “One of America’s Most Promising Companies,” named Minnesota Business magazine’s “Best Place to Work” two years in a row and was honored with an inaugural “Leadership” award by Chief Executive magazine.

Anytime’s exponential growth as a company has been a popular factor cited for the chain’s many recent awards.

“With a 51 percent increase over the previous year’s growth, franchises continue to drive the economy forward and remain excellent choices for those looking to exercise their entrepreneurial spirit,” said Amy Cosper, the vice president and editor-in-chief of Entrepreneur, in a news release. “Unit numbers from the Franchise 500 are up, providing ample opportunity for individuals to explore options with the best franchise opportunities in the world like Anytime Fitness.”

By Ashley Scoby