Anchor
Baseline Fitness holds a Minnesota food handler license for its Planet Fitness Sibley club at 2417 7th St W, part of a push toward 150-plus locations
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Overview
Updated YesterdayA Planet Fitness franchisee has cleared a required licensing step for a new Saint Paul gym on West 7th Street. Baseline Fitness Minnesota LLC, doing business as Planet Fitness Sibley, now has a Minnesota retail food handler license on record for 2417 7th St W.
The license covers food and drink sales, which Planet Fitness clubs typically offer. It also reflects Baseline Fitness's wider growth campaign: the operator is working to expand from roughly 100 locations toward 150 or more, a push backed by private equity firm Mayfair Capital Partners since the firm bought Baseline in February 2024.
The license establishes that the business is cleared to operate. It does not confirm the gym has opened its doors.
Why it matters
A new budget gym on West 7th adds a low-cost fitness option for Saint Paul's West End and signals Baseline Fitness's Twin Cities expansion.
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Key Indicators
100+
Baseline Fitness club count
Locations the franchisee operated when Mayfair Capital Partners acquired it in February 2024.
150+
Growth target
Locations Baseline aims to reach within a few years of the 2024 buyout, per Mayfair's managing director.
1
Saint Paul club licensed
Planet Fitness Sibley at 2417 7th St W holds a Minnesota retail food handler license.
Related Media
PLANET FITNESS - Updated September 2026 - 33 Photos - 2401 W 7th St, Saint Paul, Minnesota - Gyms - Phone Number - Yelp
Gym in St. Paul (Sibley), MN | 2401 W 7th St, St. Paul, MN 55116 | Planet Fitness
Images from Openverse under Creative Commons licenses.
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People Involved
Organizations Involved
Baseline Fitness LLC
Fitness franchisee
Operating more than 100 Planet Fitness clubs, expanding into Minnesota
Fargo, North Dakota-based franchisee running more than 100 Planet Fitness clubs across the upper Midwest, including a new Saint Paul location.
Mayfair Capital Partners
Private equity firm
Owner of Baseline Fitness since February 2024
Private equity arm of Oxford Financial Group that invests $75 million to $150 million per deal in growth companies.
Minnesota Department of Agriculture
State regulatory agency
Issuer of the retail food handler license for the Saint Paul club
State agency that licenses retail food handlers, the clearance Baseline Fitness's Saint Paul club secured for its food and drink sales.
Timeline
2009 September 2026
3 events
Latest: 2 days ago
-
Saint Paul Sibley club licensed
Latest LicensingFood handler retail license on record for Planet Fitness Sibley at 2417 7th St W.
-
Private equity firm buys Baseline Fitness
Ownership ChangeMayfair Capital Partners buys Baseline Fitness from Freeman Spogli, targeting growth to 150-plus clubs.
-
Baseline Fitness founded
FoundingBaseline Fitness is founded in Fargo, North Dakota.
Historical Context
2 moments from history that rhyme with this story — and how they unfolded.
2018-2024
Private-equity buyouts of Baseline Fitness (2018-2024)
Freeman Spogli bought Baseline Fitness, a growing Planet Fitness franchisee, then sold it to Mayfair Capital Partners in February 2024. Each owner backed expansion of the Fargo-based operator's club network.
Then
Baseline grew from a regional operator into a 100-club franchisee across the upper Midwest.
Now
Private equity ownership put Baseline on a growth mandate, funding entry into new markets like Minnesota.
Why this matters now
The Saint Paul license is a direct result of this ownership cycle: Mayfair bought Baseline specifically to grow it past 150 locations.
June 2020
24 Hour Fitness bankruptcy (2020)
24 Hour Fitness, a debt-heavy national gym chain, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy during the pandemic and closed hundreds of locations. The chain had expanded rapidly through leverage in prior years.
Then
24 Hour Fitness emerged from bankruptcy smaller, with many clubs shuttered permanently.
Now
The fitness industry separated winners from losers; low-price, high-volume operators kept expanding while leveraged mid-tier chains shrank.
Why this matters now
It shows the fitness industry's churn. Private-equity-backed gym operators can either expand or collapse depending on their model, which is why Baseline's low-price Planet Fitness growth path stands out.