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Planet Fitness is a national fitness center brand that operates and franchises gyms across the United States and in several other countries. The company started in 1992 with a single location in Dover, New Hampshire, founded by brothers Michael and Marc Grondahl. Their idea was simple: create a gym that felt welcoming and unintimidating, where people of all fitness levels could work out without feeling judged. That concept became the foundation of what Planet Fitness now calls its Judgement Free Zone.

Over time, the brand shifted from operating just company-owned clubs to a heavily franchised model, with the first franchise opening in 2003. This move allowed the company to expand quickly while maintaining a consistent look, feel, and experience across locations. Planet Fitness went public in 2015, which gave it additional capital to grow and strengthen its national presence.

As of December 2016, Planet Fitness had more than 1,400 clubs and was already one of the more visible fitness brands in strip centers and standalone retail spaces. Since then, the company has continued to open new locations at a steady pace, with thousands of clubs now operating across the U.S., Canada, Latin America, and Australia. The typical Planet Fitness location is a mid-sized, no-frills gym that focuses on general fitness rather than specialized training, appealing to a broad base of members.

In the last five years, the brand has maintained a strong expansion posture, adding clubs in both new and existing markets. It has also adapted its operations through periods of disruption, such as the pandemic, by adjusting access, enhancing cleaning protocols, and keeping locations open where possible. The company’s mix of franchised and company-owned stores, along with equipment sales to franchisees, supports a scalable model that has become a familiar tenant type in many shopping centers and power strips.

For landlords and developers, Planet Fitness represents a well-established, widely recognized fitness operator with a long track record and a footprint that spans suburban, urban, and secondary markets. Its approach to site selection and club design has made it a common anchor or inline tenant in retail environments where a durable, recognizable tenant adds stability to a center.