{"id":1822385,"date":"2026-09-29T09:56:25","date_gmt":"2026-09-29T07:56:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lexpress-franchise.com\/en-us\/news\/golds-gym-returns-to-southern-california-with-15-unit-franchise-development-agreement\/"},"modified":"2026-09-29T09:56:29","modified_gmt":"2026-09-29T07:56:29","slug":"golds-gym-returns-to-southern-california-with-15-unit-franchise-development-agreement","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lexpress-franchise.com\/en-us\/news\/golds-gym-returns-to-southern-california-with-15-unit-franchise-development-agreement\/","title":{"rendered":"Gold&#8217;s Gym Returns to Southern California With 15-Unit Franchise Development Agreement"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Gold&#8217;s Gym is returning to Southern California with a 15-unit franchise development agreement signed with Roknipour Investment Group, covering Los Angeles and Orange County. The deal marks a formal re-entry into a market the Venice Beach-born <a href=\"https:\/\/lexpress-franchise.com\/en-us\/our-franchises\/gym-fitness\/\">gym franchise brand<\/a> vacated in 2025, when EoS Fitness acquired 23 of its regional locations.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-dots\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The agreement, announced September 28, 2026, pairs <strong>Gold&#8217;s Gym<\/strong> with <strong>Roknipour Investment Group<\/strong>, whose founder <strong>Matt Roknipour<\/strong> will lead the build-out across two of California&#8217;s most competitive fitness markets. Gold&#8217;s Gym currently operates more than 600 gyms across 30 countries. The brand was acquired by RSG Group in 2020 following a Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing, and has since pursued a franchise-forward growth strategy under CEO Brad Reynolds.<\/p>\n\n\n        <div class=\"lf-gut-franchise-slider-wrapper\" data-slider-id=\"lf-gut-franchise-slider-6abc71b2be30d\">\n            <div class=\"lf-gut-franchise-slider swiper\">\n                <div class=\"swiper-wrapper\">\n                                            <div class=\"swiper-slide lf-gut-franchise-card\">\n                            <div class=\"lf-gut-franchise-image-wrapper\">\n                                <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/lexpress-franchise.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/hands-binoculars-on-pink-background.webp\" class=\"lf-gut-franchise-image\" alt=\"Gold\u2019s Gym\">\n                                                                    <div class=\"lf-gut-franchise-logo-center\">\n                                        <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/lexpress-franchise.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/gold-gym-logo.png\" alt=\"Logo\">\n                                    <\/div>\n                                                            <\/div>\n                            <div class=\"lf-gut-franchise-content\">\n                                <div class=\"lf-gut-franchise-title-content\">\n                                    <div>\n                                        <a class=\"lf-gut-franchise-header-link\" href=\"https:\/\/lexpress-franchise.com\/en-us\/franchise\/golds-gym\/\">\n                                            <p class=\"lf-gut-franchise-title\">Gold\u2019s Gym<\/p>\n                                        <\/a>\n                                        <p class=\"lf-gut-franchise-tag-line\">Know Your Strength<\/p>\n                                    <\/div>\n                                    <ul class=\"lf-gut-franchise-info-list\">\n                                        <li data-field=\"category\">\n                                            <span class=\"lf-gut-icon\"><?xml version=\"1.0\" encoding=\"UTF-8\"?> <svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"24\" height=\"24\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M12.5852 21.9314H4.92807C3.01378 21.9314 2.05664 20.9355 2.05664 18.9438V10.9771C2.05664 8.98542 3.01378 7.98957 4.92807 7.98957M12.5852 21.9314C10.6709 21.9314 9.71378 20.9355 9.71378 18.9438M12.5852 21.9314H18.3281C20.2424 21.9314 21.1995 20.9355 21.1995 18.9438V5.00205C21.1995 3.01037 20.2424 2.01453 18.3281 2.01453H12.5852C10.6709 2.01453 9.71378 3.01037 9.71378 5.00205M4.92807 7.98957H9.71378M4.92807 7.98957V5.99789C4.92807 4.90247 5.7895 4.00621 6.84235 4.00621H9.81905C9.74248 4.30496 9.71378 4.63359 9.71378 5.00205M9.71378 7.98957V18.9438M9.71378 7.98957V5.00205M9.71378 18.9438V5.00205M13.5424 7.98957V12.9688M17.3709 7.98957V12.9688M5.88521 12.9688V16.9521M16.4138 16.9521H14.4995C13.9731 16.9521 13.5424 17.4003 13.5424 17.948V21.9314H17.3709V17.948C17.3709 17.4003 16.9402 16.9521 16.4138 16.9521Z\" stroke=\"#E53B12\" stroke-width=\"1.5\" stroke-miterlimit=\"10\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\"><\/path><\/svg> <\/span>Sports &#8211; Leisure                                        <\/li>\n                                        <li data-field=\"locations\">\n                                            <span class=\"lf-gut-icon\"><?xml version=\"1.0\" encoding=\"UTF-8\"?> <svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"19\" height=\"22\" viewBox=\"0 0 19 22\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M9.62821 12.2473C11.2775 12.2473 12.6145 10.8563 12.6145 9.14032C12.6145 7.42435 11.2775 6.03329 9.62821 6.03329C7.97893 6.03329 6.64192 7.42435 6.64192 9.14032C6.64192 10.8563 7.97893 12.2473 9.62821 12.2473Z\" stroke=\"#E53B12\" stroke-width=\"1.5\"><\/path><path d=\"M1.60735 7.32788C3.49292 -1.29611 15.7731 -1.28615 17.6491 7.33784C18.7498 12.3967 15.7252 16.6788 13.0739 19.3278C11.1501 21.2597 8.10635 21.2597 6.17292 19.3278C3.53121 16.6788 0.506638 12.3868 1.60735 7.32788Z\" stroke=\"#E53B12\" stroke-width=\"1.5\"><\/path><\/svg> <\/span>Not disclosed                                        <\/li>\n                                        <li data-field=\"contribution\">\n                                            <span class=\"lf-gut-icon\"><?xml version=\"1.0\" encoding=\"UTF-8\"?> <svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"24\" height=\"25\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 25\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M2.05664 9.19308H21.1995M5.88521 17.1598H7.7995M10.1924 17.1598H14.0209M6.30635 4.21387H16.9402C20.3476 4.21387 21.1995 5.09021 21.1995 8.58561V16.7615C21.1995 20.2569 20.3476 21.1332 16.9498 21.1332H6.30635C2.9085 21.1432 2.05664 20.2668 2.05664 16.7714V8.58561C2.05664 5.09021 2.9085 4.21387 6.30635 4.21387Z\" stroke=\"#E53B12\" stroke-width=\"1.5\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\"><\/path><\/svg> <\/span>Liquid capital: $Not disclosed                                        <\/li>\n                                                                            <\/ul>\n                                <\/div>\n                                <a class=\"lf-gut-franchise-button\" rel=\"follow\" href=\"https:\/\/lexpress-franchise.com\/en-us\/franchise\/golds-gym\/?demandedocumentation=1&#038;utm_source=media&#038;utm_campaign=cta-slider&#038;utm_medium=https:\/\/lexpress-franchise.com\/en-us\/?p=1822385\">I want more info<\/a>\n                            <\/div>\n                        <\/div>\n                                                        <\/div>\n            <\/div>\n            <div class=\"lf-gut-franchise-slider-nav\">\n                <div class=\"swiper-button-prev\"><\/div>\n                <div class=\"swiper-button-next\"><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n        <\/div>\n        \n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-primary-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-1\">A 15-Unit Commitment to Los Angeles and Orange County<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The development agreement calls for <strong>15 new Gold&#8217;s Gym locations<\/strong> across the greater Los Angeles area and Orange County, though specific site addresses and opening timelines have not yet been disclosed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Each location is expected to feature the brand&#8217;s current amenity package: <strong>HydroMassage<\/strong>, saunas, and <strong>CryoLounge<\/strong> recovery stations alongside traditional strength training and cardio equipment. The new concept represents a departure from the bare-bones aesthetic the brand was associated with for decades, reflecting broader industry shifts toward recovery-focused membership offerings.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"lc-gut-blog-post-author-quote\" style=\"--color: #e74c3c; \"><div class=\"lc-gut-blog-post-author-quote__content\"><div class=\"lc-gut-blog-post-author-quote__quote-wrapper\"><div class=\"lc-gut-blog-post-author-quote__svg-wrapper\"><svg class=\"lc-gut-blog-post-author-quote__svg\" width=\"56\" height=\"40\" viewBox=\"0 0 56 40\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"M40.6 16.52H46.06C51.38 17.64 55.3 21.14 55.3 27.58C55.3 34.72 49.84 39.2 42.98 39.2C34.72 39.2 29.54 32.62 29.54 23.24C29.54 9.52 38.64 0.699999 55.58 0V5.04C46.62 6.3 41.3 9.52 40.6 16.52ZM10.92 16.52H16.52C21.84 17.64 25.76 21.14 25.76 27.58C25.76 34.72 20.3 39.2 13.44 39.2C5.18 39.2 0 32.62 0 23.24C0 9.52 9.1 0.699999 26.04 0V5.04C17.08 6.3 11.76 9.52 10.92 16.52Z\" fill=\"#e74c3c\"\/><\/svg><\/div><blockquote class=\"lc-gut-blog-post-author-quote__text\">Southern California is an important growth market for Gold&#8217;s Gym, and this partnership gives us the right foundation to expand in a meaningful way.<\/blockquote><\/div><div class=\"lc-gut-blog-post-author-quote__author\"><div class=\"lc-gut-blog-post-author-quote__author-details\"><p class=\"lc-gut-blog-post-author-quote__author-pre-text\">A QUOTE FROM<\/p><p class=\"lc-gut-blog-post-author-quote__author-name\">Brad Reynolds<\/p><p class=\"lc-gut-blog-post-author-quote__author-title\">CEO, Gold&#039;s Gym<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-primary-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-2\">Why Southern California, and Why Now<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Gold&#8217;s Gym&#8217;s roots in the region are well documented: the original location opened in <strong>Venice Beach in 1965<\/strong>, becoming a landmark in American fitness culture. The brand built a substantial SoCal footprint over the following decades before EoS Fitness purchased those 23 locations in 2025, creating a gap in the market. <strong>Roknipour Investment Group<\/strong> is now stepping into that gap with a multi-unit commitment. Matt Roknipour framed the agreement in terms of the brand&#8217;s heritage in the region.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"lc-gut-blog-post-author-quote\" style=\"--color: #e74c3c; \"><div class=\"lc-gut-blog-post-author-quote__content\"><div class=\"lc-gut-blog-post-author-quote__quote-wrapper\"><div class=\"lc-gut-blog-post-author-quote__svg-wrapper\"><svg class=\"lc-gut-blog-post-author-quote__svg\" width=\"56\" height=\"40\" viewBox=\"0 0 56 40\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"M40.6 16.52H46.06C51.38 17.64 55.3 21.14 55.3 27.58C55.3 34.72 49.84 39.2 42.98 39.2C34.72 39.2 29.54 32.62 29.54 23.24C29.54 9.52 38.64 0.699999 55.58 0V5.04C46.62 6.3 41.3 9.52 40.6 16.52ZM10.92 16.52H16.52C21.84 17.64 25.76 21.14 25.76 27.58C25.76 34.72 20.3 39.2 13.44 39.2C5.18 39.2 0 32.62 0 23.24C0 9.52 9.1 0.699999 26.04 0V5.04C17.08 6.3 11.76 9.52 10.92 16.52Z\" fill=\"#e74c3c\"\/><\/svg><\/div><blockquote class=\"lc-gut-blog-post-author-quote__text\">Gold&#8217;s Gym is recognized and respected around the world, but it was born in Southern California, and it means so much to us that our journey together begins here.<\/blockquote><\/div><div class=\"lc-gut-blog-post-author-quote__author\"><div class=\"lc-gut-blog-post-author-quote__author-details\"><p class=\"lc-gut-blog-post-author-quote__author-pre-text\">A QUOTE FROM<\/p><p class=\"lc-gut-blog-post-author-quote__author-name\">Matt Roknipour<\/p><p class=\"lc-gut-blog-post-author-quote__author-title\">Owner, Roknipour Investment Group<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-primary-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-3\">Competitive Context in the US Fitness Franchise Sector<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Southern California&#8217;s fitness market is among the most saturated in the United States, with <strong>Planet Fitness<\/strong>, <strong>Equinox<\/strong>, <strong>EoS Fitness<\/strong>, and a broad range of boutique studios competing for memberships. Gold&#8217;s Gym&#8217;s re-entry relies on brand recognition built over six decades and on the recovery-amenity trend that has drawn operators away from low-price, low-service models.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The US fitness industry generated an estimated <strong>$40.3 billion<\/strong> in revenue in 2025, according to IHRSA data, with multi-unit franchise deals remaining one of the primary growth mechanisms for established names. No investment figures were disclosed for the Roknipour agreement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-primary-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-4\">What Comes Next for the Brand<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Gold&#8217;s Gym has not announced a timeline for the first Roknipour location to open. Multi-unit development agreements of this scale typically unfold over three to five years, with site selection, permitting, and construction each adding to the timeline. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The brand has been active with franchise signings across multiple US markets in 2025 and 2026, part of a broader post-bankruptcy rebuild effort under RSG Group&#8217;s ownership. The Southern California deal is among the largest single-operator commitments the chain has disclosed this cycle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>This content is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, tax, financial, or professional advice. Laws and regulations vary by state and individual circumstances and may change over time. Readers should consult a qualified attorney, tax professional, or other licensed professional regarding their specific situation. Nothing herein creates an attorney-client relationship.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Gold&#8217;s Gym is returning to Southern California with a 15-unit franchise development agreement signed with Roknipour Investment Group, covering Los Angeles and Orange County. The deal marks a formal re-entry into a market the Venice Beach-born gym franchise brand vacated in 2025, when EoS Fitness acquired 23 of its regional locations. The agreement, announced September [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":788,"featured_media":1822411,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_titles_title":"Gold's Gym Signs 15-Unit SoCal Franchise Deal","_seopress_titles_desc":"Gold\u2019s Gym returns to Southern California with a 15-unit franchise deal covering LA and Orange Count","_seopress_robots_index":"","_seopress_robots_follow":"","_seopress_robots_imageindex":"","_seopress_robots_snippet":"","_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_robots_breadcrumbs":"","_seopress_robots_freeze_modified_date":"","_seopress_robots_custom_modified_date":"","_seopress_robots_canonical":"","_seopress_social_fb_title":"","_seopress_social_fb_desc":"","_seopress_social_fb_img":"","_seopress_social_fb_img_attachment_id":0,"_seopress_social_fb_img_width":0,"_seopress_social_fb_img_height":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_title":"","_seopress_social_twitter_desc":"","_seopress_social_twitter_img":"","_seopress_social_twitter_img_attachment_id":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_img_width":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_img_height":0,"_seopress_redirections_value":"","_seopress_redirections_enabled":"","_seopress_redirections_enabled_regex":"","_seopress_redirections_logged_status":"","_seopress_redirections_param":"","_seopress_redirections_type":0,"_seopress_analysis_target_kw":"","_seopress_news_disabled":"","_seopress_video_disabled":"","_seopress_video":[],"_seopress_pro_schemas_manual":[],"_seopress_pro_rich_snippets_disable_all":"","_seopress_pro_rich_snippets_disable":[],"_seopress_pro_schemas":[],"content-type":"","_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"1560093,1797447,1583624,1773138,1768387,1813459","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[3594],"tags":[],"type-de-post":[2066],"class_list":["post-1822385","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-franchise-networks","type-de-post-articles-actualite"],"acf":[],"permalink_manager":null,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lexpress-franchise.com\/en-us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1822385","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lexpress-franchise.com\/en-us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lexpress-franchise.com\/en-us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lexpress-franchise.com\/en-us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/788"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lexpress-franchise.com\/en-us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1822385"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/lexpress-franchise.com\/en-us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1822385\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1822410,"href":"https:\/\/lexpress-franchise.com\/en-us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1822385\/revisions\/1822410"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lexpress-franchise.com\/en-us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1822411"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lexpress-franchise.com\/en-us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1822385"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lexpress-franchise.com\/en-us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1822385"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lexpress-franchise.com\/en-us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1822385"},{"taxonomy":"type-de-post","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lexpress-franchise.com\/en-us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/type-de-post?post=1822385"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}