Ben Dunne says his gym business has undergone "massive changes" ahead of their reopening today.
Gyms and swimming pools are allowed reopen for the first time since Christmas today, as part of a major easing of restrictions.
However, only individual training is allowed for now.
On Newstalk Breakfast, Mr Dunne said he hopes today is a big day - but he hopes even bigger days lie ahead.
He said his company has spent around €5 million preparing their gyms for reopening.
He explained: “We have made massive changes in our business - you will notice a difference now when you walk into a Ben Dunne gym. The number one priority… is space… [there'll be] plenty of space to do a workout.
“Showers are gone full-time - in most gyms, I would think showers won’t be open for a while anyway, but we’re doing away with showers. 60% of the people who used our facilities never used our showers.”
He said the main difficultly around shower facilities was asking staff to clean them, something he did not feel was fair - particularly when they had to wear PPE to do so.
Mr Dunne said his firm's prices will remain competitive, but his company has had to increase membership fees.
He explained: “You take a drop in members, and prices go [up] to €29. It was impossible to be selling membership at €19-€21.
"Down the road, I would think, Ryanair will be finding it impossible to be selling €99 flights all over Europe.”
He said Ben Dunne Gyms still won't provide classes - noting “anything we can’t do correctly, we won’t do at all”.
Despite the changes, the businessman is optimistic about what lies ahead - saying over 900 members signed up last night, and “all the vibes are very, very positive”.
