Snap Fitness Coming to Dearborn
Snap Fitness, a franchise business that started in Minneapolis in 2003, will soon be moving into Dearborn.
Snap Fitness is moving into the former Boston Market building on Telegraph, just north of Cherry Hill in Dearborn.
The building at 136 north Telegraph Road that once housed a Boston Market is in the process of being transformed into a fitness center with state-of-the-art equipment that members can access 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Snap Fitness which launched in just 2003, today has more than 2,000 locations and some 400,000 members globally. The fitness center’s recipe for success appears to be taking the most readily used health equipment and putting it into smaller, passcard-secure locations with affordable membership pricing. Inc. Magazine’s annual survey of fast growing companies listed Snap Fitness as the second-highest concept in the health category. Overall, Snap Fitness was one of the top 20 fastest growing privately held companies in the U.S., according to Inc.
The remodeling of the former Boston Market, located just north of Cherry Hill, is underway but temporarily came to a halt Tuesday, Dec. 1, when Dearborn city inspectors issued a stop-work order. City officials told us the stop work order was issued because remodeling work was being done inside the building without a permit. Gutting the building does not require a permit but once work begins on remodeling one is required.
Once the permit is issued, work on the inside of the building will continue. The Snap Fitness website lists the new Dearborn location but not yet a date for its official opening.
It is nice to see some new retail move into Dearborn. We welcome the new business owners to the neighborhood and wish them the best of luck.
December 4th, 2009 at 2:02 pm
Another snafu by Dearborn’s building dept. Wake up someone wants to occupy one of your many empty buildings, and you have to play games with them. Mayor show your people something common sense.
December 4th, 2009 at 3:27 pm
Far be it from me to poo poo new business in Dearborn but….
Don’t we have enough fitness buildings in Dearborn? Not to mention what this will do to the Performing Arts fitness center.
This would be laughable if not so sad. Why can’t we convince new and exciting businesses to come to Dearborn. We need to think outside of the box instead of same old, same old? For goodness sake, do we not have people in this administration with an ounce of creativity?
The Mayor should be embarrassed to go on a local radio station with Mayor’s of progressive cities.
Come to Dearborn where you can eat,drink and exercise yourself silly!
December 4th, 2009 at 3:35 pm
^^ Apparently, the only thing some people can do is bitch.
Good luck to the new business!
December 4th, 2009 at 5:23 pm
Amen, Bob!!
December 4th, 2009 at 11:06 pm
MTST, no offense, but geez! I agree with Bob–could you please stop bitching? Were you one of those who thought that the proposed Kohls a while back was too declasse’ for Dearborn, too? Can you imagine how much better off if that had been built? Now, if this were another bar, I could understand, but what the hell? I hardly think this will draw any people from the ‘center,’ as it will draw a different demographic as well from a different location. This space has been empty for quite some time, and I for one am very happy to see this very visible empty spot filled, and with a somewhat unique business at that. We could do far worse…YEAH! and good luck to them!
December 5th, 2009 at 10:27 am
Hey MTST, guess what? I was just checking out their website and they really seem to be quite far from the same old, same old. They are inexpensive and extremely convenient when you consider the 24/7 model they operate under. I’ve driven past the one on Haggerty and it looks great! The Performing Arts Center is great but too expensive for me, out of my way, and the hours don’t work well for me. This location is cheaper, on my way home from work and on my way home from the Ford Road and Beech Daly area I frequent, and now I can go ANYTIME! It may be my perfect solution. This IS a new and exciting business model.
December 5th, 2009 at 10:49 am
complaining about a new fitness center??..unreal!…again please stop pretending to have a business background…these companies do much research into where they place their stores…they probably found a large number of under educated, fat ass dearborn/dearborn heights residents who inhabit a 1 mile radius of this property……
December 5th, 2009 at 12:10 pm
It was not my intention to sound anti-business for Dearborn. But it seems like we have become so desparate to fill empty buildings that we don’t care what goes in them. In this economy, who has extra money to spend at an exercise joint. Look around, more people have taken to walking. Talk to people who work or own Hair Salons. Business is way down because people may have some extra money for a hair cut but not for color or highlights which cost more money.
I am not a business owner; but just to throw out what I would have thought to be a worthwhile business in that building is a shoe store. Not a payless type store but something like a Hershey’s in Garden City. Talk about the demographics. The location is supported by neighborhood families who need and buy good shoes. Easy on and easy off with excellent parking. Why aren’t we attracting businesses like this in Dearborn?
Dearbornette:
I would have supported a Kohl’s in Dearborn. I shop there all the time at WESTLAND MALL. We should have more stores that sell goods that people need and don’t have to travel outside of the city to purchase.
If this is bitching, then so be it. It is my opinion. I guess I should be happy the city didn’t attract Larry Flynt’s Hustler Club opening up in Lincoln Park. After all, maybe people think we need another one of those in Dearborn too.
December 5th, 2009 at 1:48 pm
I agree Deabornette!!!!!!!! Living on the far west side of Dearborn. it takes longer to get to the center than the work out does. Not to mention parking “way out yonder” and the cost. Dearborn needs to wake up and understand that everyone does not want to go through that much fuss just to have a little time on the tread mill.
December 5th, 2009 at 4:14 pm
Does anyone know if the center is a money maker?
December 5th, 2009 at 10:26 pm
“The Center” is not the only fitness center around here, hasn’t anyone on this forum heard of Fitness USA located on outer drive and Michigan, I go there all the time, and their basic membership is only $10 a month.
December 6th, 2009 at 10:42 am
The Dearborn Health and Racquet Club on Gulley is the best workout facility around hands down!!!
December 6th, 2009 at 1:06 pm
Interesting how some of you posters type out both sides of your keyboards. Oh and nice view with the blinders on, too.
Look, an entrepreneur (hopefully with some valid market research in arm) liked the Snap franchise and decided to set-up shop. There’s lots of commuter traffic passing by to and from work or school there on Telegraph. For what I saw on the Snapfitness website, this looks like a no-brainer, winning investment for the entrepreneur and the City.
Too much of one type of establishment? You guys make me chortle….really, no belly-laugh,..yea, that’s it. You wanna be the Supreme leader of the “We will tell you what kind of business to build where” Kingdom? Hey, there might be an opening for that position in Canada, Russia or China.
You want Hershey’s Shoes?? For crying out loud, get in your car and drive there! No one is keeping personal score of where you shop. In fact, do us a favor: Go to up to Tom Welch and ask him why he doesn’t open up a Hershey Shoes on Michigan Ave? He’s a solid business person. Maybe he might take you seriously.
While were at it let’s do a review of Economics. Laws of supply and demand: Too many fitness centers, the prices will go down. Too few fitness centers, prices go up. Market competition: The best fitness center(s) will earn and retain customers, make a profit and prosper. The “others” will compete for said customers or they will fail.
What is the real story? Who’s doing the inside remodel! Who was the City Inspector on this stop order! We’re there valid reasons for the stop order? Can we, as citizens and business people trust ANYTHING coming from the Building & Safety Department at this moment in time?
Here’s hoping thousands of people, not only in the surrounding neighborhoods, but those who commute through our fair city, stop at Snap Fitness, work out for an hour or two before and after work, fill up their tank at the BP station on Cherry Hill, grab a Subway to munch on and get their hair done at Mystique. And maybe be able to grab a couple chocolate cupcakes at Bartz bakery without guilt.
December 6th, 2009 at 4:30 pm
Hey Anthony!
For your sake I hope they open Snapfitness very soon. Maybe they will have an exercise program that will help with your anger managment!
I thought this blog was meant for people to freely express their thoughts and opinions.
The “Real Story” nothing is ever going to fix the Building and Safety Department. It is what it is!
December 6th, 2009 at 5:41 pm
I belong to the rec center and I too find it a drive, busy, unsupervised, and hours that are not very convienent. However, with all that said, I like to swim and the pool it great (wish the hours for lap swim were better). I would love to join Fitness USA, right down the street from me, but the 3 days a week for guys and 3 days girls does not work for me. I like to work out with my spouse, if I happen to be busy one day, that means 3 days without a work out.
I just really wish the rec center would control the people inside it, the language and abuse of equipment is sickening!!
December 6th, 2009 at 6:25 pm
Did someone just complain that the farthest spaces in the parking lot at the Performing Arts fitness center are too far to walk….on their way to the treadmills and weight machines? Are you serious? Do you want someone else to run on the treadmill for you too?
December 6th, 2009 at 8:30 pm
It seems like a good fit to me. A periphery strip like Telegraph is a great location for this kind of business. Hopefully they can open without much more hassle.
It also sounds like a perfect fit for Dearborn. Instead of an arduous 10 minute trip from the SW part of Dearborn all the way to the center it’ll be only a couple minutes. And instead of parking “way out yonder” and having to walk maybe a couple hundred feet to workout you will be able to park 10 feet away. You wouldn’t want to be exhausted from that ungodly long walk for your 10 minute workout.
Yes, Anthony, Canada is such a horrible place with their strict urban planning. I guess that’s the reason the reason Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal, Calgary and Ottawa are all dying cities that are consistently ranked as the least livable cities in the world.
Mercer’s Most LIvable Cities 2009
http://bwnt.businessweek.com/interactive_reports/livable_cities_worldwide/
December 6th, 2009 at 9:58 pm
thank you anthony for being another voice of reason to terrified senior citizens on this site….
December 7th, 2009 at 9:51 am
I agree on the Rec center for the uselessness, mostly, of the staff. They do not keep the web site up to date so customers have no idea when the center is actually open, during school breaks and the alike. I’ve actually called there, as well, to find out the hours of operation, only to be told “we have no idea what the lifeguards are scheduling”. Never has the floor staff been able to help me with anything, like how to use the machines. All they seem to do is talk to each other. I wrote a letter, detailing all of this (and the lifeguards didn’t rescue me when I passed out while swimming!) and got a non – commital letter back.
December 7th, 2009 at 2:37 pm
Respectfully Ms/Miss/Mr Sensetoo.
Anger management? Really??!! It’s unfortunate that a lack of reading comprehension gets in the way of determining emotion in my carefully crafted and clearly stated soliloquy.
In what way am I preventing someone’s freedom to express their opinions? Please explain. I would LOVE to hear this.
Maybe what you are mistaking is: when an opinion is posted, a DISSENTING opinion can be expressed.
Respectfully Mr Mastrogiacomo:
There is a difference between urban planning and urban dictation. If you like Socialist (and/or Communist) governments telling businesses how to run, where to locate, and levy all kind of unfair taxes, then Canada is for you.
December 7th, 2009 at 3:54 pm
Anthony…..well put and ditto.
December 8th, 2009 at 7:21 pm
the comment/question always comes up on this site…. Do we need another “______” in Dearborn? (be it a gym, restaurant, bar, etc)
The real question is… Can we afford to lose another “______” in Dearborn?
The fact is we can’t afford to lose any more businesses whether its a gym, flower shop, hair salon, bakery, tanning salon, book store, cafe, Michael’s, Pier One, restaurant, or a bar.
Those of you who complain about too many of the same businesses really need to get into the right state of mind. If you have a great idea for a new business… open one! wow. Obviously these people who are opening the new businesses in a struggling West Dearborn are going into it will full intentions of success. If you’re so much smarter than them, then please be our guest to own, operate, or find an investor for your new business idea.
Just an fyi in case you forgot…. the ‘nick nack’ , ‘mom & pops’ stores of old are exactly that. Most of the ones that are still around are those that have been around for years and have an established, loyal clientele. To open these types of small businesses (other than bars and restaurants) are HIGH risk in this area, especially with the MEGA stores such as Wal-Mart, Fairlane, Targets, Home Depots, etc. So in turn, the only ones that can really afford this are the bars who have a profitable mark up. More power to them. Let them sell, let us remain and grow as an entertainment district if that’s what works. As long as the city and police keep it a safe, clean town with guidelines to abide by for beautification and ordinances.
I saw someone post that…. “the post is for sale”, “double olive is for sale” , etc…. to this I tell him, if you’ve ever owned your own business…you know that every business is for sale at ALL times. If you get the price you want, more power to you and who cares if it’s for sale. These bars/restaurants pay taxes and plenty of them. They keep hundreds of local people employed year round and attract hundreds of people to the downtown area who all PAY for parking. Imagine what would happen without these bars/restaurants?? Entertainment businesses have always been a major infrastructure to all successful, maturing cities.
To all of the nay-sayers on this site and in the great City of Dearborn…. grow up and it’s time to start supporting these new businesses. I’m not saying you have to go and drink at every one, but keep the negativity to yourself. You’ll be surprised by how much a positive, hopeful attitude can reflect upon everyone around you. Be proud of your city… these new businesses are well thought out, attractive places. The liquor licenses are ultimately governed by the city of Dearborn and for the most part must be purchased/transferred only within the city limits of Dearborn.
If you still aren’t convinced…. then be our guest and be a self-starter rather than a cynic and begin your own Committee to “promote new business ideas” to the city of Dearborn. Figure out a way to round up new and exciting businesses of your interest to the city. The change you want will start with you and who knows… you might be the new mover & shaker in the city.
December 9th, 2009 at 12:22 am
Thank you to all for your interest in the new Snap Fitness coming soon to Dearborn. My brother and I are the co-owners of Snap Fitness Dearborn. I raised my family in Dearborn and have been a resident for the past 26 years. My brother is a graduate of UM Dearborn and he worked in Dearborn for many years. Now we have chosen to open our new business in Dearborn and we look forward to serving the Dearborn community for years to come.
We are hoping to open around year end and we would like to invite all of you to stop in and visit us once we are open. Whether you just want to say hello, you are interested in becoming a member, or are not sure and want to find out more — all are welcome. We intend to be a user friendy, neighborhood fitness center in west Dearborn providing a fast, affordable and convenient place for all west Dearborn residents to get in a good workout. We will feature top notch Cybex equipment including cardio equipment with personal TV’s, a complete set of strength machines, free weights, and some unique pieces for functional training. Fitness professionals will offer a free fitness evaluation to all new members and be offering a wide range of personal training options. We will also be offering a one week free trial membership so you can try us out with no risk or obligation.
As for the issue regarding the stop work order, it relates to work done when the landlord turned the old Boston Market into a “white box” which we will now turn into Snap Fitness Dearborn. While we wish we did not have to deal with this issue, we want to say that our landlord has been very cooperative and the city of Dearborn has been very helpful and committed to helping us get this resolved quickly. All parties are meeting at the facility so we are optimistic that we will soon have this resolved and be moving forward to open the new Snap Fitness Dearborn.
Please check out our website at http://www.snapfitness.com/dearbornmi for updates. We want everyone to have the opportunity to come and check out the new Snap Fitness Dearborn in time to work on all those New Year’s resolutions!
December 9th, 2009 at 10:46 am
Good luck to you and your brother on you new venture. Hope the problems with the city are worked out soon and you can get Snap Fitness up and running.