How much does a Gold’s Gym franchise cost?
Opening a Gold’s Gym franchise takes a total initial investment of $2,356,000 to $5,162,000, according to the brand's 2026 Franchise Disclosure Document. The FDD's Item 19 reports median gross revenue, franchised facilities of $1,759,000 across 126 Gold’s Gym Facilities.
Gold’s Gym franchises Gold’s Gym Facilities. Category: Fitness.
Item 7
What it costs to open a Gold’s Gym franchise
The franchisor's own estimated initial investment, as disclosed in its 2026 FDD. The total is $2,356,000 to $5,162,000. Each line below carries the FDD page it was read from.
Where the money goes
The largest costs are Leasehold improvements and construction costs ($1,500,000 to $3,125,000), Selectorized equipment and free weights ($425,000 to $850,000), and 3 months’ rent ($52,500 to $320,000). Together they make up about 83% of the high-end estimate.
The initial franchise fee is $40,000, about 1.7% of the low-end total.
Our arithmetic from the Item 7 table below.
| Expenditure | Low | High | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial franchise fee2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 12 | $40,000 | $40,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 12 |
| Travel and living expenses during training2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 12 | $4,000 | $7,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 12 |
| 3 months’ rent2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 12 | $52,500 | $320,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 12 |
| Security deposit for lease2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 12 | $17,500 | $110,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 12 |
| Leasehold improvements and construction costs2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 12 | $1,500,000 | $3,125,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 12 |
| Selectorized equipment and free weights2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 12 | $425,000 | $850,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 12 |
| Cardiovascular equipment2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 12 | $160,000 | $275,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 12 |
| Signage2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 12 | $40,000 | $85,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 12 |
| Initial inventory, other equipment and supplies2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 12 | $7,000 | $40,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 12 |
| Computer system and Gym Management System2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 12 | $10,000 | $25,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 12 |
| Advertising and marketing2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 12 | $50,000 | $120,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 12 |
| Miscellaneous opening costs2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 12 | $10,000 | $65,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 12 |
| Additional funds – 3 months2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 13 | $40,000 | $100,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 13 |
| Total estimated initial investment2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 12-13 | $2,356,000 | $5,162,000 | 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 12-13 |
Source Gold’s Gym, 2026 FDD, Item 7, p. 12-13, via Public FDD bucket (storage.googleapis.com/franchiseindx_fdds) (source record). Figures read and verified 2026-09-14.
Item 19
What Gold’s Gym franchisees actually report earning
Median Gross Revenue, Franchised Facilities
$1,759,000
Gold’s Gym's 2026 FDD, Item 19, for the 2024 and 2025 calendar years. Basis: All of the Gold’s Gym Facilities whose results are reflected in this Item 19 are full-amenity Gold’s Gym Facilities.
Sample size: 126 Gold’s Gym Facilities. The FDD also reports average gross revenue of $1,797,000. We lead with the median because an average is pulled upward by the strongest Gold’s Gym Facilities; the median is the middle Gold’s Gym Facility.
What the franchisor excluded from this figure
- For the 2024 Measurement Period, 7 franchised Gold’s Gym Facilities were excluded because they were open for fewer than 12 months as of December 31, 2024.
- For the 2024 Measurement Period, 2 franchised Gold’s Gym Facilities were excluded because they did not deliver statements of Gross Revenue for the entire 2024 Measurement Period.
- For the 2024 Measurement Period, 1 affiliate-owned Gold’s Gym Facility was excluded because it was temporarily closed for 8 months during the 2024 Measurement Period.
- For the 2025 Measurement Period, 4 franchised Gold’s Gym Facilities were excluded because they were open for fewer than 12 months as of December 31, 2025.
- For the 2025 Measurement Period, 2 franchised Gold’s Gym Facilities were excluded because they did not deliver statements of Gross Revenue for the entire 2025 Measurement Period.
- For the 2025 Measurement Period, 1 affiliate-owned Gold’s Gym Facility was excluded because it was open for fewer than 12 months as of December 31, 2025.
This is a disclosure of what some existing Gold’s Gym Facilities reported, not a projection of what a new Gold’s Gym Facility would earn. Your results will differ.
Source Gold’s Gym, 2026 FDD, Item 19, p. 53, via Public FDD bucket (storage.googleapis.com/franchiseindx_fdds) (source record). Figures read and verified 2026-09-14.
Item 20
How many Gold’s Gym outlets there are, and how many closed
Gold’s Gym ended 2025 with 132 franchised outlets and 50 company-owned outlets. In that year 4 franchised outlets opened and 31 left the system.
Three years at a glance
From 2023 through 2025, Gold’s Gym opened 21 franchised outlets and 47 outlets left the system. That is a net loss of 26, from 158 to 132 franchised outlets. Of the outlets that left, 6 were terminated, 10 were not renewed, and 31 closed for other reasons.
On average, about 9.9% of franchised outlets left the system each year, roughly 1 in 10.
Our arithmetic from the FDD's Item 20 table below. "Left the system" counts every outlet the franchisor reports as terminated, not renewed, bought back, or closed for other reasons.
| Year | Start | Opened | Terminated | Non-renewed | Reacquired | Ceased, other | End | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 159 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 25 | 132 | 2026 FDD, Item 20, p. 57 |
| 2024 | 158 | 7 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 159 | 2026 FDD, Item 20, p. 57 |
| 2023 | 158 | 10 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 158 | 2026 FDD, Item 20, p. 57 |
Source Gold’s Gym, 2026 FDD, Item 20, p. 55-57, via Public FDD bucket (storage.googleapis.com/franchiseindx_fdds) (source record). Figures read and verified 2026-09-14.
Compare
How Gold’s Gym compares with other Fitness franchises
Measured against the 50 Fitness franchises on this site, using each brand's own FDD.
- Cost to open. The middle of Gold’s Gym's estimated range is $3,759,000. It costs more to open than 100% of Fitness franchises here.
- Outlets leaving each year. 9.9% for Gold’s Gym. That is higher than 59% of the 30 Fitness franchises with at least 10 outlets.
- Three-year growth. Gold’s Gym's franchised system shrank 16%. The typical Fitness franchise here grew 20%.
- Earnings disclosure. 35 of the 50 Fitness franchises here publish earnings figures in Item 19. Gold’s Gym is one of them.
Our arithmetic from each brand's Item 7 and Item 20. Growth and departure comparisons leave out brands with fewer than 10 outlets, where one opening or closure distorts the figures. See every Fitness franchise side by side.
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