Friday night is getting a makeover. For a growing number of 20- and 30-somethings, the plans now involve a squat rack instead of a bar stool.

According to Gallup, the share of adults under 35 who say they drink fell from 59% in 2023 to 50% in 2025. Meanwhile, the Health & Fitness Association reports a record 81 million gym members in 2025, with adults 18 to 24 leading every age group.

Business Partners Rob Simnick and Minor Mobley saw that shift coming. Rob, a six-year powerlifting champion who spent another decade competing in Strongman, had thought about opening a gym for years. The timing never felt right until now.

Both have trained at gyms all over the area and noticed what kept people coming back.

"We wanted to keep the pros and turn the cons into pros," Minor says. "A place where you can get a good lift in, feel good about yourself, and have that camaraderie."

The result is Crosstown Strength & Speed, opening soon at 315 N. Ninth in St. Charles. It pairs old-school lifting with speed and agility training, all under one roof, in a public gym with a private feel.

For a gym built to be a social hub, safety comes first.

"The building already comes with heavy security on the outside, and we're making sure the inside is secured too," Minor says. "From the parking lot to the gym floor, it will be heavily secured."

"Young people are changing how they spend their time and money," Rob says. "They deserve a gym that takes their health as seriously as they do."

Want to be first in the door? Scan the QR code to share your contact information, and the Crosstown team will reach out with grand opening details.

The bar has been raised.