Crunch Fitness to open off-campus location ahead of 2026, will be company’s largest Ohio facility

Antonia Campbell
Tue, 23 Dec 2025 05:03:40 +0000
Arts & Life, Instagram Page, News, off-campus, 2026, affordable, Base membership, brand new, Brutus Buckeye, Bryson Ratcliff, campus gym, campus location, circuit, college students, Columbus fitness, Columbus gym, community aspect, Crunch Fitness, cycling classes, Dec 29, exclusive promos, fitness community, free tours, general manager, grand opening, group fitness classes, gym membership, health, HIIT classes, Hilliard, hydro massage, Jan. 17 [and 28 more]

Crunch Fitness will open their new location at 2875 Olentangy River Rd. ahead of the new year. Credit: Antonia Campbell | Arts & Life Editor

Crunch Fitness, a New York-based gym chain, is opening a new location at 2875 Olentangy River Rd., a less-than 10-minute drive from campus, anywhere between Dec. 29 to Dec. 31. The exact date is uncertain due to permitting, general manager Shelby Young said.

The new gym will be the chain’s third Columbus location and is considered the Ohio State campus location. Known for their “no judgements” motto, the campus Crunch will be the largest location in the state, which Young said is meant to allow for anyone to be a member at the gym.

“We’re starting with 30,000 square footage, with an additional 8,000, so we will expand even when we hit our capacity because we want everyone to come here,” Young said. “The biggest thing about Crunch, what makes us different, is our philosophy of no judgments. We make fitness fun and we offer a lot.”

Young said the purpose of the new location is to expand Crunch’s presence in Columbus and reach new audiences.

“When it comes to our franchise, we’re constantly growing,” Young said. “With this area, we only have two other locations and they’re kind of on the opposite sides of each other. We have Hilliard and Reynoldsburg, so we wanted that middle ground and we wanted to target different demographics to utilize our facilities. That’s why we came to campus.”

The new location will have its grand opening party Jan. 17 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., where people will have the opportunity to familiarize themselves with the gym and get in on limited-time deals.

“We’ll have Brutus [Buckeye], the ribbon cutting, vendors, giveaways and raffles,” Young said. “You’ll be able to meet all of our staff and all of our personal trainers. We’ll have special classes going on. We will have free entries if people want to come and get a tour, and we’ll have exclusive promos.”

All memberships at the campus location are currently $1.08 online for the first month as part of a deal — which does not have a solid end date, but Young said will end soon. Memberships at Crunch Fitness vary in price depending on the amenities included in each package, according to its website.

Typically, the Base membership is $15.99 a month and the Peak Results membership is $29.99 a month. Currently, there is another deal making the Base membership $9.99 a month and the Peak Results $19.99 a month, which Young said will save members up to $200 annually. While there is no official end date for the discounted membership, Young said this promotion will also end soon.

The Base membership includes access to weights, machines, cardio, sauna and locker rooms. The Peak Results membership additionally includes group fitness classes, HIIT — High-Intensity Interval Training — and cycling classes, access to tanning and hydro massage amenities, the ability to bring guests and access to any Crunch location.

Young said upgrading from the Base membership to the Peak Results membership is a simple process, and Base members are able to try out amenities from the Peak Results membership free of charge before upgrading.

“We want everyone to make sure that they know what they’re getting,” Young said. “So, if you’re a Base member and want to try out a class or try out a hydro massage, [you’re] more than welcome to, and then we can get you upgraded whenever you’re comfortable.”

Maya Wijesooriya, social media liaison at Crunch Fitness and second-year in sports industry, said she recommends Crunch for Ohio State students because of its size and accessibility.

“I personally know that the RPAC can be very packed for students, so I relate to [students] on that front and recommend [Crunch] as an alternative that’s close to campus,” Wijesooriya said. “It’s not crazy expensive, so it gives you the opportunity to test it out as a student for not a crazy price, see if you like it better than the RPAC and then make that commitment if you want to.”

Bryson Ratcliff, the gym’s assistant general manager, said the sense of community is what sets Crunch Fitness apart from other gyms.

“Our biggest target is community and people,” Ratcliff said. “You know, a lot of gyms have weights, a lot of gyms have machines and treadmills, right? Where we stand out is the culture that we build within the community. It’s the most important thing to us. It’s why we all picked the job here.”

Wijesooriya said something else that sets the campus Crunch apart from Ohio State’s fitness centers, such as the RPAC, is the welcoming environment the Crunch staff creates.

“Knowing our team, we are very friendly and [Young] makes sure she is getting friendly and welcoming people,” Wijesooriya said. “We’ll go out of our way to go the extra mile, welcome you in [and] show you how to use things, but at the RPAC, you’re kind of just going in blindsided. Here, we’re trying to bring you into the Crunch community.”

Ratcliff said what he’s most looking forward to ahead of the gym’s opening is getting to connect with the Ohio State and Columbus communities.

“I’m excited to see the community we’ve built before the grand opening, and getting to welcome everybody into our new home in Columbus,” Ratcliff said. “I’m just excited to get to interact with the people.”

The campus Crunch’s hours will be 5 a.m. to midnight Monday through Thursday, 5 a.m. to 11 p.m. Fridays and 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

This story was updated Dec. 23 at 11:31 p.m. to clarify the opening date and membership pricing.