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Cheetah Gyms' Bucktown location at 1934 W. North Ave.
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Filed under: Business, Lifestyle, Local News
Wed. September 5, 2007 6:39:55 PM
Owner blames employee theft as the popular gyms close in Chicago
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Chicago, IL — Locally-owned Cheetah Gym, a small chain of gyms popular within Chicago's LGBT community, abruptly closed Wednesday.
In a letter to customers owner David Wilshire said the closures were "due to employee theft and graft." He also wrote "The degree of corruption was enormous."
Wilshire added, "I tried my hardest to save it and take back control but it was clear I would not be allowed that opportunity. I was forced to employ people I thought should be fired and that placed me in a Catch 22."
He said the "final straw came yesterday" when one manager left payroll incomplete so that employees could not be paid leaving shifts uncovered. Wilshire did not go into great detail about the employees' alleged misconduct but did write "I hope to prosecute the guilty people or at least sue them."
Wilshire indicated most of the problems were at the Bucktown facilty, 1934 W. North Ave., and added, "I do not mean to implicate the entire staff. There were many good and honest people that worked at Cheetah."
In addition to the Bucktown location, Cheetah Gym operated locations at 5838 N. Broadway in the Edgewater neighborhood, and 5248 N. Clark St. in the Andersonville neighborhood.
Below is the letter to Cheetah Gym members from David Wilshire as posted on the Cheetah Gym website before the website was taken offline sometime Wednesday.
Dear Members:
Cheetah Gym has been closed due to employee theft and graft. The degree of corruption was enormous. I was left in a position where I could trust no-one or anything. Most of the problems were at the Bucktown facility. Edgewater, I believe, was relatively free of graft. The scams ran the gamut but it looks like I was the sole victim of theft. However, I urge you to get fraud protection as a precaution.
I do not mean to implicate the entire staff. There were many good and honest people that worked at Cheetah.
Some will herald this news as good while others will be sad. Others will be very angry. I tried my hardest to save it and take back control but it was clear I would not be allowed that opportunity. I was forced to have to employ people who should have been fired. I was in a Catch 22. Employ people who were probably bad and stay open or fire them and close. The final straw came yesterday when the RGM left payroll incomplete and I was left to try and finish it as best I could. Many new employees could not be paid because I was not given their information. The RGM should have been the first to be fired. When she quit we were left with many shifts not covered and no-one to cover them. I had hoped to be able to run them long enough to reinstate the infrastructure. But the task was too great.
You will have to do what you need to do to assert your individual interests. I hope to prosecute the guilty people or at least sue them. But I am likely in the same boat the rest of my staff is in. I am unemployed.
It was an honor to serve you.
David Wilshire
Patience Hayes on Wednesday, 9/5/2007
We are ALL without a gym on the far North side. Where can we go now?
Burned too on Wednesday, 9/5/2007
Well you can do what the rest of us are doing. Going to Crunch or Xsport. Forget Ballys or World. Both are over crowded and dirty.
Trainer on Thursday, 9/6/2007
I am a trainer at Cheetah and alot of us are going to HiFi Fitness on North an Clybourn...check it out.
Well, SOMEone has my money... on Thursday, 9/6/2007
Crazy MFer... sheesh. Just bought a personal training package for over $1K and now, I have nothing. Working with my credit card agency to recover my funds, but it doesn't look good.
muscleboy11 on Thursday, 9/6/2007
Quads gym on Broadway and Waveland is across from Charlies. Its a no frill no contracts gym but the pricesa are good. And 85% of the clientel are gay. A lot of people think its a heavy iron gym..but many types from slim to bodybuilders go there. No attitude great staff and an owner that knows everyone by name
Edgewater Guy on Thursday, 9/6/2007
Anyone else think that this guy's story doesn't add up? This last-minute closing from the guy that was reportedly on Oprah as 'most eligible bachelor' while at the same time Mr. Gay Chicago? Anyone with a brain would have seen this coming *far* in advance. To keep cash-flow coming, one would have shuttered some gyms, keeping another open and accepting membership there, for starters. Secondly, if cash flow were a problem, he would likely had the places on the market. Something isn't right here. He did something to get himself in over his head, didn't know how to handle it, and i'm guessing is on a plane to someplace exotic (all conjecture, for sure).
Big B on Thursday, 9/6/2007
I was forced to employ people I thought probably should be fired and that placed me in a Catch 22??? What business owner is forced to employ anyone and not be able to fire them for suspected theft. Since $1 million was stolen- this would be considered Grand Theft- we are taking a min of 5-10 years in jail.
JUmP on Thursday, 9/6/2007
I agree with Edgewater Guy. Someone needs to go back to business school or just admit that he's a crazy old F@#k.
Anyone from the Andersonville branch ever read the apology note on the upstairs office door? Something about a pending lawsuit against the bar next door over a water leakage problem.
The guy's a nut and I just want to go to the damned gym!! I'll even ignore the fact that 59 dollars came out of my bank account five days ago if he'll just liquidate so someone else can open it back up.
Dutch on Thursday, 9/6/2007
I have been in the gym bizz a long time and would like to help. Anyone who lost money and would consider working out in Rivernorth contact me and I will ty to help. Fitnessinternationals.com
Bishop on Thursday, 9/6/2007
Even though this
cdteach3 on Thursday, 9/6/2007
Anything but Bally's!
Wake up people! on Tuesday, 3/4/2008
Do you really think that theft was the cause of multiple gyms closing? There was GROSS mismanagement of funds at the top. Wilshire is passing the buck the blame to save face.
Martha on Wednesday, 4/30/2008
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RyanOH on Wednesday, 9/5/2007
NOW where can I work out? Any suggestions for other gyms in the Andersonville area? I really enjoyed Cheetah.