---
title: "Crunch Fitness franchisee on fast track for 20 new locations"
url: https://burnaze.com/article/6aa288fa-e083-4613-9b0d-ade081181cf5
source: "Franchise Magazine USA"
original_url: https://franchisemagazineusa.com/crunch-fitness-franchisee-on-fast-track-for-20-new-locations/
author: "Andrew Carlo"
category: "Gym & HVLP"
industry: "Fitness"
segment: "Gym & HVLP"
topics: ["Development & multi-unit"]
published: 2026-07-22T13:24:33.000Z
modified: 2026-11-01T00:52:57.729Z
image: https://franchisemagazineusa.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Crunch-Arcadia-Arizona.jpg
---

# Crunch Fitness franchisee on fast track for 20 new locations

**TL;DR:** Southwest Fitness Holdings LLC, a subsidiary of CR Fitness Holdings, will expand the Crunch Fitness brand in the Phoenix metro market with 20 new locations by 2027. The company currently operates 14 Crunch gyms in the Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas market and aims to have 20 total locations in Texas and Arizona by the end of 2026.

*By Andrew Carlo, originally published in Franchise Magazine USA on 2026-07-22. [Read the original](https://franchisemagazineusa.com/crunch-fitness-franchisee-on-fast-track-for-20-new-locations/).*

## Story

The Crunch Fitness brand should soon bulk up in Arizona.

Southwest Fitness Holdings LLC, a subsidiary of CR Fitness Holdings, announced it will expand the gym banner in the Phoenix metro market with five new clubs currently in presale in addition to opening 20 new locations by the end of 2027.

CR Fitness Holdings said four locations in Ahwatukee, Arcadia, Mesa Grand, and Paradise Valley are expected to open by the end of this year. A location in Arrowhead will follow and is slated to open in mid-2027.

Currently, Southwest Fitness Holdings operates 14 Crunch gyms in the Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas market. The company said it’s on pace to have 20 total locations in Texas and Arizona by the end of 2026. Its parent company, CR Fitness Holdings, operates 98 locations with more than 1 million members.

“We’re excited to bring Crunch to the Phoenix community and expand access to affordable fitness in the market,” says Tony Scrimale, CEO of CR Fitness Holdings. “Our goal is to create welcoming clubs that provide members with a variety of fitness options, including strength and cardio equipment, group fitness classes, personal training, and recovery amenities, all supported by Crunch’s ‘No Judgments’ philosophy.”

Each of the new locations represents an investment of about $5 million, with each new gym creating approximately 70 new jobs in personal training, group fitness, sales, operations, member services, and club leadership. The 20 planned locations could create as many as 1,500 jobs.

All of the new clubs will spotlight Crunch’s 3.0 location design and range in size from 33,000 to 48,000 square feet. The latest locations will also feature Crunch Select, a premium club concept membership option.

“We’re incredibly excited about what we’re bringing to Phoenix and the opportunity to introduce this community to the next generation of Crunch clubs,” says Scrimale. “These locations represent some of the most innovative clubs we’ve built, combining expanded fitness and recovery offerings with the value and accessibility that have always defined Crunch. We believe Phoenix is ready for this experience, and we’re thrilled to be part of the market’s growth.”

Last month, Crunch Fitness appointed Chequan Lewis as CEO. Lewis succeeded Jim Rowley, who has transitioned to executive chairman of the company. Rowley had served as CEO of Crunch since 2019.

Crunch Fitness was founded in 1989 in New York City’s Greenwich Village neighborhood. The brand has operations in 41 states, along with the District of Columbia, Australia, Canada, Costa Rica, Puerto Rico, and India. Altogether, there are more than 550 Crunch Fitness locations.

## Entities

- unit expansion (topic)
- franchise growth (topic)
- Fitness (sector)
- texas (location)
- Franchise Magazine USA (publication)
- Arizona (location)
- Andrew Carlo (person)
- Phoenix (location)
- Crunch Fitness (company)
- CR Fitness Holdings (company)
- Tony Scrimale (person)
- Jim Rowley (person)

---
Originally reported by Andrew Carlo, Franchise Magazine USA (https://franchisemagazineusa.com/crunch-fitness-franchisee-on-fast-track-for-20-new-locations/). Summarized by Burnaze (https://burnaze.com/article/6aa288fa-e083-4613-9b0d-ade081181cf5).