‘Never been able to recover’: S.F. gym closes after 30 years
A Crunch gym in downtown San Francisco has closed after 30 years, becoming the latest longtime business to fall victim to aftershocks from the pandemic and remote work.
The gym spanned three levels inside the historic Sharon Building at 55 New Montgomery St. and closed at the end of March. It had “never been able to recover from the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic,” according to a sign posted in the now closed space, whose windows have been papered over.
Starting in March 2020, California temporarily closed indoor gyms for about a year. After reopening, hours at the Crunch gym were reduced, with a closing time of 8 p.m. on weekdays. More recently, it no longer opened on weekends.
Crunch memberships were transferred to the gym chain’s closest location at 350 Third St. Crunch also has locations on Union Street and on Polk Street. A Hills Plaza location closed during the pandemic.
Within a block of the now closed Crunch, an upscale women’s clothing store called the Rafael’s plans to close this June inside the Palace Hotel, citing poor sales and crime. Nearby Alexander Book Company closed a year ago. Both businesses had also been in operation for three decades, and another three-decade-old gym operated by 24 Hour Fitness closed late last year at 100 California St.
The Sharon building, built in 1912, is also home to the historic House of Shields bar and sandwich takeout spot the Sentinel. It fell on tough times during the pandemic, and former owner Swift Real Estate Partners defaulted on its mortgage.
In October, an affiliate of mortgage lender CrossHarbor Capital Partners bought control of the property for $15 million in a foreclosure sale, with $65 million in unpaid debt attached to the building.