by Mike Sharkey
Staff Writer
At 10 a.m. Tuesday there were only a handful of people working out at the Downtown Gold’s Gym. Then again, it was 10 a.m. and the scene was likely indicative of gyms all over town. Wait until lunch or after work, said the owners.
“It’s very quiet because people are working right now,” said Lee Kaplan, CEO of all three Gold’s Gym locations in Jacksonville and co-owner along with brother and COO Jay Kaplan. “From 11:30-1 and from 5:30-8 we are jammed.”
Last month marked the two-year anniversary of Gold’s Gym Downtown on West Forsyth Street. Promised to open nearly a month earlier, numerous issues all played a role in the delayed opening. Fringe owners at the time, Lee and Jay Kaplan bided their time and a year-and-a-half ago took full ownership of the gym along with the Baymeadows location. Eighteen months later, they are happy with the decision. The gym has 2,000 members (300 when they bought it), the Baymeadows location just got a major facelift and the Kaplans recently opened the door to the brand new location at the corner of Beach Boulevard and St. Johns Bluff Road.
The Kaplans kid they bought the franchises of the Dallas-based gyms with 650 locations worldwide because they wanted to lose weight.
“I don’t like to get dressed for work. I like to wear a hat and T-shirts,” said Lee, and he’s not joking. “I got dressed up today because you were coming.”
Both Kaplans grew up playing and appreciating sports. They also both worked for the PGA Tour in some capacity in the past. Through a friend, Lee has had what he calls a “passive” interest in the fitness business for 20 years. Before opening and during the early days, the Kaplans had fringe ownership in the Downtown Gold’s. After about six months and minimal growth, the Kaplans took a chance and bought the Downtown gym along with the Baymeadows location.
If you work Downtown, you’ll remember it was about then that it seemed like every day a Gold’s employee was handing you a free smoothie card or a pass for a free week. The Kaplans figured the best way to market the brand new gym and increase membership dramatically was to get live bodies into the two-story, 20,000 square-foot gym.
“Our first objective the first three to six months was to let people know we are here and where we were,” said Lee Kaplan. “We put out flyers, anything with our name on it, and gave them to people on the street. In our business you get the best bang for your buck (advertising that way).”
Through a franchise agreement, the Kaplans have the entire Northeast Florida Gold’s market from Amelia Island to St. Augustine to Lake City. Under the agreement, only they can own a Gold’s franchise. There are three in Jacksonville and a fourth is in the works. The St. Johns Bluff location has 30,000 square feet and a movie theater that plays a different movie every night while the Baymeadows location is the largest at 40,000 square feet and a pool. Overall, Gold’s in Jacksonville has between 7,000 and 8,000 members, of which about 55 percent are women.
The Kaplans admit the Downtown market represented a risk. Two years ago, the Downtown housing market was on the verge of exploding and commercial development was dominating headlines. Since then, both markets have slowed meaning the Kaplans have been forced to work harder to provide a quality gym with top-notch equipment and personal trainers.
“When we came in the first time about three-and-a-half years ago, Downtown looked like it was going to boom and go crazy,” said Lee Kaplan. “Toney Sleiman had talked about a ton of growth and he believed this was the next big thing.
“Frankly, we still feel that way. It has taken longer because of the housing, but we’ll get through that. For a while the housing market was so crazy, it wasn’t realistic. It’s like the stock market — it will always correct itself.
“Downtown has definitely been worth it. It’s been an education because it’s a much different market. We are used to high volume and big clubs in a suburban market. This was different.”
The Kaplans figure the typical Downtown member is in their 30s and 40s and fairly well educated. However, like any gym, there is the dichotomy of membership.
“One good thing about Downtown is that there is no typical client,” said Jay Kaplan. “There may be an attorney next to a guy who makes burritos. It’s eclectic, but comfortable. Based on our member feedback, our membership is very loyal. It’s a very different crowd, but I think they appreciate how we do things.”
Otis Roberts has been a Gold’s member for eight years. He joined while living in Virginia Beach. Today, he’s retired from the Navy and makes the trip Downtown about five days a week to work out Downtown — and it shows. Roberts is about 5 feet 9 inches tall, weighs about 200 pounds and likely has single-digit body fat.
“I like this gym because it’s everywhere you go. Gold’s is as top-class as any gym in the world,” said Roberts. “Even overseas you can find a Gold’s Gym.”
If the Kaplans have their way, eventually you’ll be able to find them all over Northeast Florida, as well.