Hotel Entrepeneur Selects Leeds as First Yorkshire Site for New Gym Venture

11-Aug-2009

Yorkshire-based hotel and leisure entrepreneur Peter Roberts has selected a site adjacent to the Leeds Corn Exchange for a revolutionary concept in fitness. Called “Pure Gym”, the business is set to take advantage of the growing consumer demand for high value, low cost gyms.

A 15-year lease has been agreed with Welbeck Land for a 15,000 sq ft unit at Cloth Hall Street and Pure Gym is set to open in October.

Pure Gym will also open later this year in Manchester, Wolverhampton and Edinburgh. The plan is to have 20 sites operational by 2012.

“Today’s cost-conscious consumers are looking for excellent value with high quality and we have modelled Pure Gym on similar operations in the US and Germany which have been very popular,” said Peter Roberts, Pure Gym’s CEO. “Leeds is an ideal site for Pure Gym. It is one of the UK’s largest cities with a busy city centre both during office hours and beyond. There is a daytime population of more than 55,000 within half a mile and a similar number of residents within five minutes drive who can access Pure Gym easily.”

Whilst subscriptions now to some gyms are as high as £70 per month, Pure Gym customers can join online now at www.puregym.co.uk from only £9.99 per month and can cancel at any time.

They will have 24-hour access to a modern, air-conditioned gym fitted out with more than 175 of the latest cardiovascular and fitness machines.

“The special £9.99 rate of per month will apply to those who join pre-opening with the usual subscription being £15.99,” added Peter. “The recession will actually help this ‘gym without frills’ concept grow quickly as consumers are welcoming the fact they don’t have to commit to expensive annual subscriptions and pay for facilities they may not want.”

Pure Gym’s head office is near Ripon. Peter Roberts was previously CEO of hotel group Golden Tulip UK whose portfolio included the Tulip Inn Leeds/Castleford. He is also a former director of Luminar Leisure and Dragons Health Clubs.

The Pure Gym venture, which is privately funded, will be run by most of the team behind the successful Golden Tulip Hotel business. In addition to Peter, there is Brian Scurrah (Development and Operations Director); Angela Crawshaw (Property Director) and Becky Potter (Site Researcher). Joining the team as Finance Director is James Jack.

For further information
please contact:
Richard Graham
RGPR
Tel: 01765 640736