Weakened finances
Hulking fitness chain permanently closes 12 Houston gyms due to COVID-19
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 12 in the Houston area.
The 12 Houston-area gyms that have shut down permanently are:
- 25632 U.S. Hwy. 290, Cypress
- 130 W. Parkwood Ave., Friendswood
- 4425 FM 1960 West, Houston
- 12708 Northwest Frwy., Houston
- 19734 Saums Rd. Houston
- 21614 Tomball Pkwy., Houston
- 5721 Westheimer Rd., Houston
- 7068 FM 1960 East, Humble
- 1550 S. Mason Rd., Katy
- 2765 Gulf Frwy. South, League City
- 5946 Fairmont Pkwy., Pasadena
- 10860 Kuykendahl Rd., The Woodlands
Twenty-two 24 Hour Fitness gyms in the Houston area have reopened or are in the process of reopening.
“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In a letter to customers, Ueber says the gyms that have been shut down permanently were either outdated or were close to other 24 Hour Fitness locations.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 12 gyms in the Houston area, 24 Hour Fitness has permanently closed three locations in the Austin area and 11 in Dallas-Fort Worth.