Photo: Courtesy
A longtime Fayetteville business is set to close its doors next month.
Clubhaus Fitness owner Stuart Walker on Thursday announced plans to close his Fayetteville gym and fitness center after more than a decade in business on Dickson Street.
Walker announced the closure in a video posted to the business’s Facebook page.
“It is with a very heavy heart that we announce the closing of our Fayetteville location on December 20,” read the post accompanying the video.
He didn’t mince words on the cause for the closure either. The COVID-19 pandemic, which has been raging in the US since March, has caused his memberships to drop by more than half while his expenses have not decreased.
“We’ve done all we could through the COVID crisis, and I’ve come to the conclusion that the smartest thing for me and my family at this time is to close our Fayetteville location,” Walker said.
“I’ve really never seen anything like this pandemic. It kind of came on and we thought it’d be over in a few months, and we got some help from the PPP, but that was just kind of a stop gap,” he said.
Clubhaus got its start on Dickson Street in 2009, and expanded to Little Rock a few years ago. The Little Rock location will remain open for now, Walker said.
“I am lucky enough to have a Little Rock location, and I can kind of consolidate my time and my resources and go that direction,” he said.
Walker said he wanted to announce the closure via video to give his members, his employees and instructors some time to find a new gym.
“What I want you to do is to take care of yourself,” he said. “The whole reason I’m in the gym business is because I learned to take care of myself. I found that when I did, I would do a better job taking care of my family. It just makes you a better person. It makes you a better husband, makes you a better father, makes you a better person at work if get up, and spend a little time taking care of yourself.”
Walker said he will be at the gym over the next month to answer questions for members, make recommendations, and referrals to other facilities.
His full video with more information about the closure is embedded below.
