Planet Fitness vs Row House Franchise Comparison

Below is an in-depth analysis and side-by-side comparison of Planet Fitness vs Row House including start-up costs and fees, business experience requirements, training & support and financing options.

Start-Up Costs and Fees
 
Planet Fitness Franchise
Row House Franchise
Investment $968,100 - $4,113,000$257,700 - $475,800
Franchise Fee $20,000$49,500
Royalty Fee 7% of Gross Membership Fees7%
Advertising Fee 9%2%
Year Founded 19922015
Year Franchised 20032017
Term Of Agreement 10 years-
Term Of Agreement 10 years-
Renewal Fee --


Business Experience Requirements
 
Planet Fitness Franchise
Row House Franchise
Experience --

Financing Options
 
Planet Fitness Franchise
Row House Franchise
  In-House/3rd PartyIn-House/3rd Party
Franchise Fees No/No-/-
Start-up Costs No/No-/Yes
Equipment No/Yes-/Yes
Inventory No/No-/Yes
Receivables No/No-/Yes
Payroll No/No-/Yes

Training & Support
 
Planet Fitness Franchise
Row House Franchise
Training * Available at headquarters: 2 weeks * At franchisee's location: as neededOn-The-Job Training: 1 hour Classroom Training: 22 hours Additional Training: Manager training
Support * Newsletter * Meetings * Toll-free phone line * Grand opening * Internet * Security/safety procedures * Field operations/evaluations * Purchasing cooperativesPurchasing Co-ops Newsletter Meetings/Conventions Online Support Security/Safety Procedures Field Operations Site Selection Proprietary Software Franchisee Intranet Platform
Marketing * Co-op advertising * Ad slicks * Regional advertisingCo-op Advertising Ad Templates National Media Regional Advertising Social media SEO Website development Email marketing Loyalty program/app
Operations * 40% of all franchisees own more than one unit * Absentee ownership of franchise is allowed. (70% of current franchisees are owner/operators)Number of Employees Required to Run: 8

Expansion Plans
 
Planet Fitness Franchise
Row House Franchise
US Expansion Yes-
Canada Expansion --
International Expansion --

Company Overviews

About Planet Fitness

Planet Fitness got its start in 1992 when Michael Grondahl acquired a struggling gym. He reduced membership prices to compete against better-known brands and focused on serving occasional or first-time gym users. Every Planet Fitness location holds a pizza night for members once a month, as well as a bagel morning, and Tootsie Rolls are available at all times.
Planet Fitness strives to promote health in a respectful atmosphere. For over a decade, Planet Fitness has gone to great lengths to provide its members with a friendly space to work out. We call it the Judgment Free Zone. We discourage weight dropping and obnoxious grunting so you can focus on your own workout and not the person next to you.

The total investment necessary to begin operation of a single Planet Fitness facility ranges from $968,100 to $3,072,000 if you finance your equipment.
This includes $48,000 to $297,000 that must be paid to the franchisor or its affiliate.
If you choose to purchase your equipment, the total investment necessary to begin operation of a single Planet Fitness facility ranges from $1,500,000 to $4,113,000.
This includes $295,000 to $912,000 that must be paid to the franchisor or its affiliate.
These estimated initial investment ranges also apply to each location that you develop under the Area Development Agreement (plus the Area Development Fee you pay at the time you sign the Area Development Agreement). If you sign an Area Development Agreement, you must develop one or more Planet Fitness facilities, and you will pay an Area Development Fee of $10,000 per planned location (paid in full when you sign the Area Development Agreement) in addition to the then-current initial franchise fee due for each location at the time the Franchise Agreement for that location is signed.

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#8 in Franchise 500 for 2021.






About Row House

At a time when the market is saturated with high-intensity, high-impact fitness concepts, the need for a more sustainable workout that reduces the risk of injury but still delivers an effective workout is clear. Predicted to be the new ‘go-to’ workout in 2018 by The Associated Press, indoor rowing has the extensive market potential not yet explored. Established in New York City in 2014, Row House was born from the idea that rowing is simply the most efficient, low-impact, high-energy, full-body workout for any fitness level that unites, inspires and drives people to dig a little deeper.
 
Led by an expert team with more than 25 years of fitness franchising experience, Row House will dominate indoor rowing in the boutique fitness industry by offering franchise opportunities across all major markets.

Seeking new franchise units throughout the U.S. , Asia, Australia/New Zealand, Canada, Mexico, South America and Western Europe