Although Gov. Ron DeSantis has allowed gyms and fitness centers throughout Florida to reopen, some in Jacksonville are struggling to stay afloat.
Verb Jax is a small independent gym in Five Points. Owner Ferdinand Mendiola said most of the personal trainers on staff have already booked clients online through June, meaning the gym can’t offer it’s normal services.
“I can't offer any amenities, I can't offer massages, can’t offer classes, can’t offer training, nothing really, and that's basically our revenue,” Mendiola said.
The trainers didn’t know when they could go back to work, so they kept booking virtual sessions to bring in their own income.
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“Unfortunately, bills do pile up,” Mendiola said. “Rent’s due, stuff like that. So, yes is great that we're finally open. Unfortunately, we weren’t really prepared.”
Mendiola said he hopes to have all of his staff back in early June.
In the meantime, Verb Jax isn’t charging any membership fees, and the gym itself is open for patrons.
The gym has introduced social distancing and cleaning guidelines, which are a condition of reopening.
That includes extra hand sanitizer and spray stations, and a cleaning of all machines every 30 minutes.
The staff is required to wear masks and gloves, but they are optional for patrons.
So far, Mendiola said the number of people coming in has been few and far between.
“Maybe after six weeks they get out of the routine,” Mendiola said. “Maybe they're just afraid to come in, or maybe it's the economy. Maybe they just lost their job...there’s many reasons why they’re not here.”
Mendiola said he just hopes the current member base sticks with Verb Jax through the beginning phases of reopening.
“The gym is sort of an outlet to go for stress or whatever reasoning,” Mendiola said. “We want to be prepared, we want to be ready for them. And we want to make sure they get everything that we promised.”
Sky Lebron can be reached at slebron@wjct.org, 904-358-6319 or on Twitter at @SkylerLebron.
