A franchisee of Snap Fitness here has opened an outlet at the recently completed Northtown Square shopping center, at 4727 N. Division.

Nick Freese and his partners in the franchise opened the new location in a 3,500-square-foot leased space on Aug. 17. It's a bit larger than most Snap Fitness outlets, including a changing room, showers, and massage room, in addition to the main strength-training and cardio equipment areas, Freese says. Kilgore Construction Inc., of Colbert, did the tenant improvements for the outlet.

Freese says he and his wife, Shannon, are partners in the venture with his parents, John and Jana Freese. The partners have invested more than $175,000 in opening the outlet, which is their first location, and also have bought franchise options for two additional locations in the Spokane and Medical Lake areas, though they have no immediate plans to open a second center. Another franchisee here, Jeff Spencer, operates three Snap Fitness locations in Spokane and Spokane Valley.

Nick Freese says he and his wife will work at the Northtown Square location, and plan to hire three or four personal trainers and a couple of part-time membership coordinators for the outlet. He says he hopes to sign up about 500 to 600 members at the location.

Freese managed a Snap Fitness for another franchisee in Coeur d'Alene for two years before helping to open the Northtown outlet, he says. Snap Fitness gyms can be accessed 24 hours a day by members using key cards. The franchisor, Snap Fitness Inc., is based in Chanhassen, Minn.