Animal Paradise Gyms is getting closer to opening in the Cumberland Mall, taking over an exterior entrance unit which was previously most known as being a Toys-R-Us location.
The new gym is locally owned by business partners Peter and Andrew, who appear to have other businesses in the mall, giving them a strong understanding of the Vineland community.
For their latest effort they are developing a 30,000+ square foot full gym experience offering all of the latest gym equipment and training techniques, as well as a fitness class area, steam rooms, cold plunge room, smoothie bar, daycare, supplements store, sports therapy, large locker/shower room areas and much more.
From the outside of the mall, Animal Paradise will be located between Petco and Mattress Firm.
Animal Paradise gym will be a family owned gym offering a high end gym experience but at a reasonable price. All of the core fitness aspects you could expect from a top-quality gym and more will be available, but with a focus on working with members so they can achieve their goals.
It was honestly surprising to me that people would hit me up saying I was inspiring them to workout better. I feel this sense of responsibility to now show people things are possible to do. I want to to build more of a community gym. We want to help people. 100% results driven. We want to make sure that when you come to Animal Paradise, you’re going to achieve your goals no matter what.
Peter, Co-owner of Animal Paradise Gyms (and bodybuilder)
Animal Paradise Gyms – Getting Closer
While I do not know the opening date, it appears Animal Paradise is getting closer to opening as they are now accepting applications for staffing positions, and state they will be doing interviews the second week of July.
As they are finishing up construction of the space, the Animal Paradise team has a temporary showroom space inside the Cumberland Mall directly next to the County Store. You can stop in to chat with the guys about the gym and its membership options!
Additionally they have been using their Instagram page to document in video the entire process of the gym creation… from initial idea, to acquiring financing, leasing the space and of course the construction process!
The videos are nicely done and edited… informative!
As you would expect, Animal Paradise Gyms also has a website and a Facebook page, but all the behind-the-scenes of “building a large gym” are on Instagram. Be sure to follow them!
I reached out this morning to the team but we could not connect. As the gym gets closer to opening I hope to be able to stop over and get the full gym tour!
Animal Paradise Gyms – Philosophy
While the exterior walls my be the same, everything inside the space for Animal Paradise is being developed literally from the ground up. 100% all-new!
This is a considerable redevelopment effort as in one of their early videos the partners were walking the 30,000sf space and it still looked like a large retail store with front register stands still in place. Well those are long gone, as they’ve completely gutted the interior and are well into full rebuild.
One big example is the development of the large locker rooms and shower areas, which require all new interior plumbing and sewage lines to be installed inside the space, which means breaking up the concrete floor to run the underground pipes, and of course framing the many interior spaces.
The partners state the initial process for the gym started almost two years ago and required almost nine months of negotiations to acquire the space. The lease was signed in September of 2023 and construction started in early January of this year.
In March they started teasing to Instagram followers the business idea and location, and soon after made the big announcement.
Honestly I have not spoken to Peter or Andrew yet but I wanted to get this Coming Soon information out to everyone.
In the videos, Peter shares that he has been lifting for 11 years and for about seven of those years he has been a bodybuilder.
Just recently he qualified and competed in an NPC Nationals Event in Chattanooga TN, which is a huge accomplishment given that with so much focus on the development and opening of the gym, he’s likely had to reduce his own time spent working out.
The goal for the gym design is to take what they’ve learned from years of traveling the world and visiting dozens of gyms, and incorporating those best features into Animal Paradise in Vineland. Inspiration comes from Gyms that Peter has visited in Rome, Europe, Texas, the middle east, and more.
They want Animal Fitness to be truly about the member and helping them achieve their goals as fast as possible through proper weight training and nutrition. While they need to grow the membership numbers to pay the bills… the business model is not about loading it up with people who never visit.
Peter and Andrew truly want to work with the members to make sure they are working out in the most effective ways, while utilizing proper nutrition.
To back up that philosophy the team has signed with top fitness equipment manufacturers such as Arsenal Strength, Atlantis Strength and Rogue… to bring in the best fitness equipment in the industry to Vineland.
On their Animal Paradise website, they’ve announced that their Director of Training is IFBB Pro Rafael Souza.
Their Flex Training Series offers a variety of fitness experiences from group classes, small group classes and one-on-one training. The process will also include customized meal-prep plans, tailored to each member.
As Animal Paradise Gyms Vineland gets closer to open I hop to come back in and share with everyone what Animal Paradise is all about!
For now you can stop in at their Pre-Sales showroom inside the Cumberland Mall and ask additional questions!
Links and Location
Animal Paradise Gyms
Cumberland Mall
3849 S Delsea Dr.
Suite E000
Vineland, NJ 08360