Pensacola CrossFit gym Mako Athletics moves to new location on North Palafox | New Business – Pensacola News Journal
When Brandon Massie moved from Ohio to Pensacola to open his own CrossFit Gym in 2013, he wanted to choose an ambassador that would best represent his newest venture.
What type of branding message could he use to bring in new members? How can his gym stand apart from the rest, and what mascot would also best reflect its core values?
Once he answered these questions, it didn’t take him long to realize that the choice was clear.
“I went with the Mako Shark,” Massie said. “They’re the fastest sharks in the world, very powerful, and they never give up.”
►Gulf Coast Signs offers up one-of-a-kind art for everyone
►East Hill Home Services offers cleaning and organization services
►Streamline Air Charters in Milton aims to be ‘passport to the Southeast’
But for Massie, having the right resources in place goes beyond branding. As his membership grew and more opportunities opened up for Mako Athletics, so did the need for a bigger building.
“The facility we had no longer matched the services we provide,” Massie said. “We needed additional space to accommodate larger classes, and offer after school programs. We’re also in the process of launching a nonprofit organization.”
After 14 months of renovation and upgrades, Mako Athletics is now open in its newest location at 1500 N. Palafox St. in Pensacola. In addition to adding in a gift shop area, the new building boasts more than 8,000 square feet. With one room dedicated to cooling down and another area dedicated to CrossFit classes, Massie still had 3,000 square feet of space left over to offer an open gym area for weightlifting and personal training.
“We’re also working on adding an AstroTurf strip that will run right across the middle of the functional fitness area,” Massie said. “This will be great for doing sled drags and pulls.”
Despite the modernization of the facility itself, Massie still wanted to pay homage to its roots, restoring much of the original wooden beams and building work benches with original materials.
“Fourteen months of blood, sweat, and tears,” Massie said. “It was built in the 1930s, and it used to be a grocery store. We found a flyer for it, and that was pretty cool.”
Whether in person or online, Mako Athletics features a wide variety of services ranging from remote coaching to onsite bodybuilding. As 2022 approaches, Massie reminds us that reaching our personal goals involve consistency and patience.
“We believe in community. We believe in the people around us, and we believe in building strong people,” Massie said. “We have a wall of members celebrating anniversaries, and we’re coming up on members celebrating five years with us even. You have to keep going. It’s not a quick fix.”
Heads up, the tall brick building, freshly painted in off white, might still be hard to miss. At the time this article was published, outside signage had yet to arrive. For more information and full class schedules, visit mako-athletics.com or call 850-860-1083.
Kalyn Wolfe is a freelance columnist for the News Journal. Send new business tips to pcolanewbiz@gmail.com.
