Snap Fitness Expands As Valley Creek Mall Continues Changes

Deanna Bruneau and her husband Joe used to drive past the Valley Creek Mall to hit the .

She said it was cramped and crowded and not well staffed.

“We’re going to change all that,” Bruneau said.

Late last month Bruneau and her husband purchased the Snap Fitness at the mall, continuing the changes there that began with the doubling in size and ’s move within the mall. (.) There are also rumors of a new restaurant opening at the .

Bruneau previously worked as an attorney, but working 80 hours a week left her burned out. “I decided to do something different,” she said.

Bruneau and her husband, who works in IT at General Mills, liked the Snap Fitness business model and counted themselves lucky that the mall location was for sale.

“We could make it the perfect club,” she said.

That starts with a major expansion, knocking out walls and adding 1,150 square feet to the 2,000-square-foot space. It will house a second “cardio theater” and free weights, Bruneau said. There will also be a new changing room.

A grand reopening, set for Feb. 25-26, will feature giveaways, prizes donated by local businesses, free fitness assessments and specials for new members.

There have been some challenges with the career change for Bruneau, notably the recent construction. “I don’t speak that language,” she said.

As an attorney she worked on large projects with several people, and running the health club is similar, she said.

“A lot of the skills transfer over, but the environment is much more me,” Bruneau said.

Already she said she has enjoyed her new role, and the close-knit, casual atmosphere at Snap Fitness.

“The members know each other and I know a lot of people by name, even though I’ve only been doing it a month,” Bruneau said. “It’s more casual—nobody comes in with full makeup on.”

Ultimately, she hopes the Valley Creek Mall Snap Fitness becomes a club that “people won’t drive by.”