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Closing of New Port Richey's Gold's Gym Catches Members Off-Guard

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By KLINT LOWRY | The Suncoast News

Published: December 9, 2008

Updated: 12/10/2008 08:10 am

NEW PORT RICHEY - The aim of a good workout is to "feel the burn." For the past few days, however, members at Gold's Gym, 4900 U.S. 19, have been feeling like they've been burned, as they've pulled into the parking lot to find their 24-hour gym has gone out of business.

The gym closed its doors without notice on Friday. On Monday morning, some members who came for their usual workout found their pulse rates rising as they stood in the parking lot, reading the handwritten notices on the door and wanting answers, particularly those who had recently signed or renewed their contracts.

"You don't just wake up one day and decide to close your doors," said Larry Bartholomew, who wanted to know what was to become of the $600-plus he paid just two and a half weeks earlier for 16-month memberships for him and his wife.

One option was waiting for them under a canopy in the parking lot as Ryan Pergola, regional operations manager for Family Fitness Center, and his mother, Laurie Pergola, were there to meet Gold's members.

Family Fitness Center — not to be confused with Lifestyles Family Fitness — is a family-owned chain of three gyms in Trinity, Hudson and Dunedin. The Pergolas were there to let members know they immediately honor up to two years on all current Gold's membership agreements.

"We're making sure no one is left out in the cold for the holidays," Pergola said. All members have to do is bring copies of their membership agreements to the Family Fitness Center at 4028 Little Road, Trinity. For those who can't find their agreements, they would try to find the copy among Gold's records. Members would be asked to sign a new release waver — a standard part of any gym membership — and have a new ID photo taken, and they would have access to all three Family Fitness Centers.

The offer includes senior citizens who worked out at Gold's Gym under the Silver Sneakers program, a health and fitness program offered through Medicare.

"Hopefully it will come back to us," Laurie Pergola said, as their gym will not receive any of the money members paid for those memberships.

Gold's Gym franchise owner Barry Azirovic arrived Monday and spoke directly to frustrated members, trying to ease their concerns and state his position.

"I've been in this business for 12 years," Azirovic said. "I want to make it right for everyone. I'm not running from anything."

Gold's Gym is a corporate entity that licenses its name to independent franchise owners. Although Azirovic owns the franchise, his parents own the building. He had been in negotiations with Pergolas to lease the building and replace his franchise with one of theirs. Both sides said they were hoping to arrive at an agreement within a week.

But Azirovic said trouble began when some employees heard about the negotiations and started telling members the gym was closing. After that, he said, people starting stealing things and trashing the equipment, forcing him to close the gym abruptly.

The suddenness of the action had members upset. Outside the gym, Bartholomew and others traded stories of how recently they had paid for new memberships and that just a week earlier the gym had a big party to sign up new members. Jeff Schuhert, who was there to get a copy of his agreement, said a friend of his worked at Gold's as a salesman, and even his friend had no idea the gym was closing the day before it did.

Although some members were open to the Family Fitness Centers' offer, others like Bartholomew felt like they'd been taken. Under rules set down by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, which are written into the Gold's Gym agreement, a gym must give 30 days notice of closure, and offer comparable facilities within five miles of the existing gym to avoid being in breach of contract.

Bartholomew contended Azirovic missed on all three counts, and was convinced he deserved his money back. Both Azirovic and Ryan Pergola restated they are working to make things right by members and the arrangement for Family Fitness Centers to honor the contracts gives members' uninterrupted access to a quality nearby facility.

Gold's Gym members who have not transferred their memberships and want more information can call 727-375-1116. Those who wish to speak to someone at Gold's Gym can still do so at 727-849-8606.

Klint Lowry can be reached at 727-815-1067 or klowry@suncoastnews.com.

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