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Franco’s Athletic Club

Franco’s Athletic Club Interview

Franco’s Athletic Club began in April 1988. However, our second New Orleans expansion began in December 2013. We recently celebrated our five year birthday by hosting a party for all of our members.

We offer all types of workouts ranging from small group training (HIIT classes), group training (Les Mills/Spin/Strong by ZUMBA), mind and body classes (Yoga/Barre/Athletic Stretch), and personal training (one on one training)

-All memberships are on a month to month or six-month basis. Membership is ALL inclusive, giving you access to our first-class strength/cardio equipment, intense small group training classes, locker room, dry sauna and showers, world-renowned group exercise classes, access to our 100,000 square foot main facility located in Mandeville, Louisiana, and much more!

Why did you start Franco’s Gym?

From the start in 1988, Franco’s mission was to make the club a haven for families in the community. This was a revolutionary idea for the time, with most 1980s gyms being geared toward single adults.

Why did you choose to open Franco’s Gym in the Lower Garden District?

In 1998, the Francos decided it was time to share the tight-knit community they’d built in Mandeville with others, and launched a second gym in New Orleans’ Lakeview area. Like the first, the new club quickly became a home-away-from-home for members. Five years later, Hurricane Katrina hit. Franco’s Lakeview took on nine feet of water, leading to irreparable damage that gave the owners no choice but to close.

In 2013, the Francos realized a void had been left when the club in Lakeview closed due to Hurricane Katrina. As a result, they returned to New Orleans, opening a club in the heart of the city on Magazine Street.

How do you think Franco’s Athletic Club fits into the daily routine of customers who live and work in the Lower Garden District?

Franco’s Magazine fits into the daily routine of customers by offering an array of group classes, with over 70 classes offered weekly. We also offer personal training, private yoga sessions, and an open gym during regular business hours.

Where do most of your clients live and work

The majority of our members live in the neighborhood or close to it. About 70% live or work in a three-mile radius of the facility. We even allow our members that ride their bike to the club to store it in our courtyard. It’s nice to be able to walk/jog/bike to the gym for a warm-up!

Franco’s Athletic Club is a luxurious gym located in the Lower Garden District. Franco’s Atgletic Club offers two stories of state of the art equipment and impeccable trainers.