Anytime Fitness Franchise Due Diligence

About Anytime Fitness Franchise

24-hour access gym franchise model with key-fob entry and a global membership network.

The total initial investment for a Anytime Fitness franchise ranges from $378,500 to $783,000, which includes the initial franchise fee of $42,500. These figures come from the most recently available Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD) filed with state regulators.

Beyond the initial investment, franchisees pay ongoing royalties of $799/mo and marketing/advertising contributions of $600/mo. These ongoing fees significantly impact your real profit margin, and they are often underestimated by prospective franchisees.

What the Anytime Fitness FDD reveals

Based on Anytime Fitness LLC's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document reporting fiscal year 2024 data, Item 19 financial performance representations covering the 12-month period ending February 28, 2025, and Franchise Chatter FDD Talk analysis published August 2025. Headquartered in Woodbury, Minnesota; owned through Self Esteem Brands and Anytime Worldwide LLC; Roark Capital Group holds a significant minority position since 2014. 2026 FDD is expected to be filed by April 30, 2026.

Item 5 and 6: Fee Structure (Fixed-Fee Model)

Initial franchise fee ranges from $22,500 to $42,500 depending on deal structure. The distinguishing feature of Anytime Fitness is that its ongoing royalty is not a percentage of revenue but a fixed monthly charge: currently $820 per center per month. On top of that, franchisees pay a $600 per month general advertising and marketing fee, a $799 per month base technology fee, a $149 per center per month Coaching Suite fee (for operators of 1 to 3 centers; $109 for 4 to 9), and a local marketing spend of $600, $800, or $1,000 per month depending on market tier. Total fixed monthly recurring fees sit between approximately $2,968 and $3,368 per center per month, or $35,600 to $40,400 per year, payable regardless of whether the center generates any revenue. Critically, the franchisor reserves the right to replace the $820 monthly royalty with a percentage royalty of up to 8% of Gross Revenue, and to raise the marketing fee to the greater of $600 per month or 2% of Gross Revenue.

Item 19: Earnings Disclosure and Revenue Dispersion

The main Item 19 sample covers 1,656 franchised Anytime Fitness centers that were open for the full 12-month period ending February 28, 2025, used the Coaching Suite, and reported training revenues. Average total revenue for this cohort was $442,686; median total revenue was $394,973. The reported range is the key figure: from a low of $86,175 to a high of $1,835,348, a spread of more than 20-to-1 across the system. Top-quartile median total revenue is approximately $670,000, while first-quartile median total revenue is approximately $239,000. A narrower subset of 297 centers using all five SmartCoaching tools reports higher revenue levels but should not be treated as the systemwide baseline. 29 permanently closed centers were excluded from the Item 19 sample.

Item 20: Unit Count and Ownership

2,301 total outlets at year-end 2024 (2,290 franchised plus 11 company-owned) in the U.S. system, with the global system exceeding 4,700 locations across 50+ countries. Franchisee attrition was 3.68% in the most recently published rate, slightly below the fitness industry average. Initial franchise term is 6 years with 5-year renewals, shorter than the 10 to 20 year norms in most franchise categories. The franchisor offers Area Development Agreements for multi-unit operators, and the system includes Anytime Fitness Express (1,500 to 4,000 square feet) and standard Anytime Fitness (4,000 to 6,000 square feet) formats.

Top 3 Red Flags

1. Fixed monthly fees of approximately $3,000 per center, payable regardless of revenue. Unlike percentage-based royalty structures that scale with sales, Anytime Fitness charges fixed monthly fees: $820 royalty plus $600 marketing plus $799 technology plus $149 Coaching Suite plus $600 to $1,000 local marketing. That sums to roughly $35,000 to $40,000 per year per center before any variable expenses. On a $239,000 first-quartile median revenue, fixed franchisor fees alone consume 15% of gross revenue. On a $86,175 low-end revenue disclosed in Item 19, fixed fees exceed 40% of gross revenue. The fixed-fee model creates structural hardship for bottom-quartile performers that percentage-royalty systems mitigate.
2. Item 19 shows a 20-to-1 revenue dispersion, with first-quartile median below $240,000. The $86,175 to $1,835,348 range is one of the widest publicly-disclosed revenue spreads in franchising. Prospective franchisees commonly anchor on the average ($442,686) or median ($394,973), but the first-quartile median of approximately $239,000 is the more instructive benchmark for underwriting conservatively. A new center, in a less-established market, without prior fitness industry experience, is more likely to land in the lower half of the distribution than the upper half. Combined with the fixed-fee cost structure, the bottom-quartile unit economics are structurally negative.
3. The franchisor reserves the right to convert the fixed royalty to a percentage of up to 8% of Gross Revenue. The FDD explicitly reserves the franchisor's unilateral right to replace the $820 per month royalty with a royalty of up to 8% of Gross Revenue. On an average-performance unit at $442,686, 8% equals approximately $35,400 per year, or $2,950 per month, a 3.6x increase over the current $820. This right sits in the Franchise Agreement as a reserved power the franchisor can exercise without franchisee consent. An operator building a 6-year pro forma on the current $820 royalty should also model the scenario where the franchisor exercises the 8% conversion option mid-term, particularly for higher-revenue locations where the shift would be most economically beneficial for the franchisor.

Verdict

Best fit for experienced fitness operators or multi-unit franchisees with site-selection discipline, willing to place centers in markets with 7,000+ population density within a 3-mile radius (for standard format), 4,000 to 6,000 square feet of suitable retail space, and confidence they can land in the upper two quartiles of the Item 19 distribution. The brand's 4,700+ global scale, 24-hour access model, and Coaching Suite technology provide real operational leverage for skilled operators. Not a good fit for first-time owners without fitness or retail-services experience, operators who assume the $442,686 average will apply to their specific location, or buyers who cannot weather three to four years of ramp-up while absorbing $35,000 to $40,000 in fixed annual franchisor fees. Model unit economics against the first-quartile median ($239,000), not the system average, and include the scenario where the franchisor converts royalty to the reserved 8% of Gross Revenue.

This analysis reflects patterns visible in the public 2025 FDD. Your specific deal terms, territory, and Area Development Agreement obligations are not publicly disclosed. Have our AI FDD Analyzer review your specific franchise agreement for deal-level red flags.

Compare Anytime Fitness with similar franchises

Buyers evaluating Anytime Fitness typically also review these related FDD analyses for structural, unit-economics, and ownership comparison.

• Orangetheory Fitness - Fitness franchise comparison: Anytime Fitness 24-hour access model versus Orangetheory coaching-led format
• Planet Fitness - Fitness franchise comparison: small-format membership versus Planet Fitness high-volume scale

Key Questions Before Investing in Anytime Fitness

These are the due diligence questions most buyers skip before signing a franchise agreement. They go beyond what's in the FDD.

• What is the realistic Year 1 take-home pay? After royalties ($799/mo), ad fund contributions ($600/mo), rent, labor, COGS, insurance, and debt service. What do you actually keep? Use our Profit Margin Calculator to find out.
• What is the closure rate? Check Item 20 of the FDD. How many Anytime Fitness locations have closed, been terminated, or "ceased operations" in the last three years? A high number is a red flag.
• Are the territories truly protected? Item 12 defines your territory. Does Anytime Fitness reserve the right to sell through alternative channels (delivery apps, online, grocery) in your territory? Many do.
• What happens when you want out? Item 17 covers renewal, termination, and transfer. What does Anytime Fitness charge to transfer? Is there a non-compete after you leave? How long?
• What do current and former franchisees say? The FDD lists every franchisee's name and phone number. Call at least 10 current and 5 former ones. Our Validation Call Scripts tool gives you the exact questions to ask.
• Does the franchisor make money from you or with you? Check Item 21 (audited financials). Does Anytime Fitness earn most of its revenue from royalties on operating franchisees, or from selling new franchise licenses? The latter is a warning sign.
• Can you afford to lose this money? If Anytime Fitness fails in 18 months, what is your total financial exposure including the lease, SBA loan personal guarantee, and sunk costs? If the answer makes you sick, reconsider.

Other Health & Fitness Franchises to Compare

Smart due diligence means comparing alternatives. Here are other health & fitness franchises you should evaluate alongside Anytime Fitness.