Edmonds’ imposing veil of darkness — that dreaded ‘Deadmonds’ of post-business hours downtown — might be beginning to crack.
That’s the hope of the Bowl’s newest business, and its only advertised around-the-clock, all-day-every-day operation: Snap Fitness, on Fifth Avenue.
The gym is celebrating its Grand Opening from noon to 3 p.m., Saturday, April 19. It opened for business Feb. 27.
Since then, the ‘Deadmonds’ drumbeat from nay-sayers has been disproved, said co-owners Kelsey Sage and Bryan Jones.
“We got that. We did,” Sage said. “But it has been the exact opposite. People love that this place is open all the time.”
“Edmonds is changing,” Jones said. “There are actually a lot of young people and young families.”
The business is able to stay open day and night because customers get their own keycards. Snap Fitness is a chain, and it has a simple philosophy: Leave the lights on, leave the TVs on, and customers will come.
The new Edmonds location is being used at all hours of the night, Sage and Jones said.
“The hours were a selling point for me,” said Kisa Nishimoto, 19, an Edmonds resident who attends Shoreline Community College who also works.
“I use it at all different times — but never in the morning,” she said.
She and her 21-year-old brother Dillon go to the gym as late as 1 a.m. on a regular basis, Nishimoto said.
Sometimes, good conversations flow with other late-night fitness seekers.
“Nobody is creepy and works out in a corner by themselves,” Nishimoto said. “If you are there at midnight, and you are working out, you are going to have something in common.”
Safety is something of a concern, but there are easy solutions, the owners said. The gym has accessible panic buttons and optional panic lanyards that can be worn around your neck — both are connected to 911.
The focus is on fitness, though. The 3,000-square-foot space offers the features of a larger gym, including most of the equipment, tanning and personal trainer services, in a smaller package.
It’s also affordable, Sage said. While the monthly charges are higher than other local gyms, enrollment is free at Snap Fitness — it can range as high as $189 at other Edmonds gyms.
That’s part of the reason Sage and Jones, who own franchising rights in Kirkland and Greenlake, decided to open in Edmonds first.
“This is a place where people want to be fit. They are always out and walking,” Sage said. “There are two other gyms here.
“But we believe we’re bringing something different,” she said.
Not only for the gym world, of course, but as those late-night lights indicate, for downtown as well.
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