Two of the northshore's most recognizable fitness brands are stepping into a new chapter together, as Franco's Health Club and Spa and Cross Gates Family Fitness enter a strategic partnership that brings their management under one umbrella while keeping both club names — and ownership — local.
Under the new arrangement, the ownership team behind Cross Gates Family Fitness in Slidell will assume management of Franco's facilities in Mandeville and New Orleans. Cross Gates, founded in 1981 and long established as a powerhouse on the eastern side of St. Tammany Parish, operates three locations in the Slidell area. Franco's, meanwhile, has spent nearly four decades as a landmark on the western side, anchored by its 80,000-square-foot flagship club on 10 acres off Louisiana 22.
"We're going to be leading both operations," said Nate Welch, who co-owns Cross Gates with his uncle, Larry Welch. Between the five locations, the combined footprint now serves around 30,000 members and employs more than 400 people — a scale that gives the partnership significant influence in the northshore fitness market.
Welch described the deal as a strategic partnership rather than a takeover, declining to go into financial details. What he emphasized instead was continuity: both Franco's and Cross Gates will keep their own names, brands, and community identities. For longtime Franco's members, he stressed, this is meant to be an evolution, not an erasure.
That point was underscored in a news release announcing the move, which noted that Ron and Sandy Franco — who built Franco's over the past 37 years — will remain actively involved. They will continue to help steer the brand and uphold the club's longstanding commitment to members, staff, and the wider community. According to Welch, the relationship between the two families goes back years, making this partnership feel less like a cold business transaction and more like a natural extension of an existing friendship.
"Franco's is an institution," Welch said, explaining why preserving the name and legacy was non-negotiable. For decades, Franco's has been woven into the fabric of western St. Tammany life, not only as a workout destination but as a community hub. Its signature Iceman Dip & Dash — a bracing New Year's Day run along La. 22 capped off with a swim across the chilly Tchefuncte River before heading back to the club — has become one of the area's most distinctive fitness traditions.
The partnership also comes with tangible promises for current and future members. Welch said the group is planning a multimillion-dollar renovation and expansion focused on both Franco's locations. Those upgrades will range from cosmetic improvements inside the buildings to enhancements on the fitness floor and work on pickleball courts — a nod to the rapidly growing popularity of the sport. Additional projects are expected to be announced later, suggesting that this is just the first phase of a broader reinvestment strategy.
For now, Welch said members shouldn't expect any immediate changes to their memberships. That stability is deliberate: in a region where many residents have deep, longstanding ties to their home clubs, sudden shifts to pricing or policies could trigger backlash. Instead, the new leadership seems intent on building trust by improving facilities first and adjusting the business model, if needed, more gradually.
The timing of the move is noteworthy. The northshore fitness landscape has become increasingly competitive as national chains push into the market. Pelican Athletic Club in Mandeville was recently acquired by Kansas-based Genesis Health Clubs, signaling that large, out-of-state operators see opportunity in the area. Meanwhile, Crunch Fitness has planted a flag in Mandeville, and Planet Fitness now operates in both Slidell and Covington, offering low-cost memberships that appeal to price-sensitive gym-goers.
In that context, the Franco's–Cross Gates partnership looks like a strategic response from two homegrown players seeking to hold their ground and grow without ceding control to national brands. Instead of selling outright to an outside company, Franco's ownership chose to align with another local operator that shares its regional roots and community focus. The combined organization now effectively brackets St. Tammany Parish, with Cross Gates dominating the east and Franco's anchoring the west.
Asked whether the deal was motivated by rising competition or a desire to expand westward, Welch kept his answer broad but positive. He said that the clubs have always had connections with one another and that he views other gyms — even national chains — less as enemies and more as partners in promoting healthier lifestyles. "I'm cheering everyone on," he said, adding that he believes strongly in the industry as a whole.
Still, the reality is that scale, brand recognition, and capital for renovations matter in a market where consumers have more options than ever. By pooling management and planning a hefty round of upgrades, the Franco's–Cross Gates alliance positions itself as the northshore's largest locally owned fitness network — an identity that could resonate with members who prefer staying loyal to regional businesses rather than sending their dollars to corporate headquarters in another state.
For now, members at both brands can expect familiar faces at the front desk and on the fitness floor, with gradual improvements rolling out over time. Behind the scenes, though, the partnership marks a significant reshaping of the local fitness landscape. It aligns two long-standing institutions under shared leadership while preserving the names, stories, and community quirks that made them successful in the first place.
"I love this mission of being locally owned and operated," Welch said. If the renovations and member experience live up to that sentiment, the move could strengthen both Franco's and Cross Gates at a moment when staying independent — and competitive — is getting harder to do.
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