Smart Fit opens in Chacaíto with more than 150 exercise machines

Smart Fit has opened its first gym in Venezuela, at the Chacaíto shopping centre in Caracas, according to a report published by Mercado Fitness on 28 September 2026. Covering more than 2,000 square metres and equipped with over 150 exercise machines, the site turns the brand’s announced market entry into an operating business for Venezuela’s franchising community.

A new gym with dedicated workout areas

The gym brings together areas for resistance training, free weights, cardio and functional training. It also has a studio for group classes and an area called Smart Spa. This layout gives a sense of the scope of the new facility: rather than simply a room full of machines, it offers several spaces designed for different types of exercise.

The published information confirms the location, floor area and broad equipment provision. However, it does not specify how many users the gym can accommodate at once, its opening hours or its class timetable. Nor does it explain which services the Smart Spa at this site includes, so the name alone should not be taken to imply any services beyond those reported.

For those following commercial openings in Caracas, the key point is that the facility is already open. The news documents an operating site, rather than merely an investment proposal or a project awaiting delivery.

Two membership plans and an app

The Venezuelan offering includes Black and Smart membership plans. According to Mercado Fitness, Black provides access to the chain’s gyms across Latin America, while Smart restricts access to the member’s chosen gym. The reported difference is therefore the geographical scope of access.

The operation also includes the Smart Fit App, which offers personalised training plans, alongside amenities such as lockers and showers. These complement the physical facilities at Chacaíto and form part of the offering described for members in Venezuela.

The report does not provide local membership prices, joining fees or minimum-term and cancellation conditions. It therefore offers insufficient information to compare the total cost of the plans with other fitness options in Caracas. Nor does it establish whether there are launch promotions or special terms for particular groups of users.

A practical comparison of the two plans requires checking not only access to other gyms, but also the contractual terms that apply in Venezuela. The regional access advertised for Black does not remove the need to check those terms before signing up.

A site run by an operator with regional experience

The gym has opened through a local franchise operated by Fit Concept Store. According to the publication, its management team has previously developed and managed Smart Fit gyms in Colombia, Panama and Costa Rica. This background indicates the operational experience behind the Caracas site.

Edgar Corona, chief executive of Smart Fit, explained that the use of franchising does not represent a change in the group’s overall expansion strategy. The company uses this model to enter selected markets, while around 80% of its gyms are company-owned.

For the franchising community, this distinction helps put the Venezuelan opening in context: it combines a regional brand with a local operator, but does not in itself show that the chain is offering franchises widely in the country. The available information does not include selection criteria, initial investment requirements or terms for prospective franchisees.

Further sites planned, but no timetable published

Smart Fit has more than 2,170 gyms and 5.6 million members across 17 Latin American countries. These are chain-wide figures, not results attributable to the Chacaíto gym. The Venezuelan opening should be viewed within that regional context, without assuming that the chain’s overall performance indicators apply to the local market.

Mercado Fitness also reports that the company plans to open further gyms in Venezuela. However, the report gives no additional locations, opening dates or planned number of sites. The confirmed progress remains the gym already open in Caracas.

Practical takeaway: prospective members can assess the Chacaíto gym on the basis of its facilities and access options, while confirming prices and contractual terms directly. For prospective franchisees, the opening provides an example of an operating franchise, not a public invitation to invest.