01/29/2021
Well it's been a good run.
Unfortunately Simms Fitness is now permanently closed. We had been working with our landlord through the pandemic, paying a reduced rent. Recently they made the decision to call our back rent due. This was unexpected and we were unable to pay the balance. As such they have locked us out beginning today.
While it is extremely frustrating for us, it is important for our members and supporters to remember our landlords are small business owners as well. They have had to make tough financial decisions of their own and we assume they did not come to this decision lightly.
One of the biggest contributing factors was mixed messaging from every level of government. Being forced to open in June gave our landlords the expectation we would be able to pay rent. However, our customer base evaporated by more than 35% as folks justifiably wanted to stay home. We totally understood those people - we also wanted to stay home. The health order also mandated we maintain higher staffing levels than pre-Covid.
To pile on, there was a lack of substantive support from the government at the city, state, and federal level. We applied for every program we became aware of and did our best to allocate resources appropriately to survive.
However, it seems we didn't quite make it to the finish line.
Thank you to everyone that supported us through the last few years. We had a blast serving you and were proud to be one of the consistently highest rated facilities in the city. Make sure you all make a few trips and spend a few bucks at your favorite local businesses or they might not be around in the summer.
Cheers,
Zach and Matt
