Can you buy an Anytime Fitness franchise in Canada?

Anytime Fitness franchises in Canada, and its Canadian franchise page covers both routes into ownership: starting a new club and buying an existing one. The figures and statements below are what the franchisor publishes on that page. Deavo does not endorse the brand or vouch for the numbers, and the page does not say what a given territory or club costs.

Starting a new club

The page states that it has a range of territories across Canada available for purchase. In answer to “How much does it cost to invest in a new gym?”, it says the initial investment for a new club starts from approximately $500k. The page does not name a currency or break that amount down, and “starts from” means it is a lower bound, not a quote. Ask the franchisor what that amount includes, and where its disclosure document sets out the costs behind it.

Buying an existing club

To the question “Can I buy an existing club instead of starting from scratch?”, the page answers yes: you can purchase an existing club that is for sale. It asks you to fill out its enquiry form and select that you are interested in an existing club, and says the franchisor can then share more information. The page gives no price or conditions for resales. Ask what the franchisor requires of a buyer, whether it must approve the transfer and whether a transfer fee applies; see who has to approve a franchise resale and what a franchise transfer fee is.

What a resale buyer should still ask for

A resale is still a franchise purchase. In Ontario, the Arthur Wishart Act (Franchise Disclosure), 2000 requires a franchisor to give a prospective franchisee a disclosure document, received not less than 14 days before the earlier of signing or paying consideration, subject to the exceptions in section 5. Those exceptions include a grant by an existing franchisee for its own account that is not effected by or through the franchisor, if every condition in section 5(7)(a) is met. Whether a particular resale falls under an exception is a legal question. The Canadian Franchise Association recommends due diligence with a franchise lawyer, accountant and banker.