Gym Floor Data / Gym spotlight
How a Burford trainer took over the gym she already worked in
Most people who dream of owning a gym picture an empty unit and a loan. Jenn Mansour's route was shorter: she took over the gym she already worked in. It also raises a question every new owner faces. What do you do with a floor someone else designed?
Jenn Mansour was a trainer at Small Town Fitness Studio in Burford, Ontario. When the owner stepped away, she and her partner Steve Vanzella took over the 2,100 sq ft gym at the start of 2025 and renamed it JennEm Fitness. It combines open memberships, group classes and personal training in one room.
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| Gym | JennEm Fitness (formerly Small Town Fitness Studio) |
| Location | 18 Rutherford Street, Burford, Ontario |
| Owners | Jenn Mansour and Steve Vanzella |
| Size | 2,100 sq ft |
| Took over | Start of 2025; ribbon cutting 11 January 2025 |
| Format | Memberships, group classes, one-on-one and semi-private training |
Who runs JennEm Fitness?
Mansour is a certified personal trainer with further qualifications in pre- and postnatal coaching, posture training and nutrition. She had been training clients inside the studio since November 2023, more than a year before she owned it. The Brant Beacon reported that her relationships with existing members were a large part of why she felt ready to take it on.
How did the takeover happen?
There was no new build and no search for a unit. The previous owner decided to move on, and a trainer who already knew the members and the room stepped in. The gym changed its name and kept running. Local and provincial representatives attended the ribbon cutting in January 2025.
What does a 2,100 sq ft gym offer?
More than the footprint suggests. JennEm sells standard memberships alongside classes that include interval training, strength, Zumba and bootcamp, plus one-on-one and semi-private sessions. All of it shares one small floor, so the timetable decides who gets which part of the room and when.
What can other owners take from this?
Anyone who takes over a gym inherits someone else's equipment choices and layout. The takeover is the easy moment to question them, because members expect some change. Three points apply to any small gym:
- Find out what gets used before you buy or remove anything. The pieces members say they love and the pieces they use are often different lists.
- In a small room, every station competes for space. One idle machine can be the space a class or a second rack needs.
- If classes and open gym share a floor, the schedule is a layout decision. Knowing when the open floor is busiest tells you where classes fit without pushing members out.
These are general points for owners. We have not measured JennEm Fitness and make no claim about its floor.
About this spotlight
JennEm Fitness is not a customer of Gym Floor Data and did not pay for or request this profile. It is based on reporting by the Brant Beacon (January 2025) and the gym's own website. We did not interview the owners. If you run this gym and want to add a comment or correct something, contact us and we will update the page.
Questions owners ask
What should you check before taking over an existing gym?
The lease, the age and ownership of the equipment, the membership numbers, and how the floor is used at peak hours. The last one is rarely in the paperwork.
Can a trainer realistically buy the gym they work in?
It happens when an owner retires or moves on, and a trainer on site already has the trust of the members. It still needs financing and a willingness to carry the lease, insurance and slow months.