Our owners and all the coaches are very friendly. I love that atmosphere. I'd miss that if I were at a gym where the owner wouldn't even make eye contact with me.
Not sure what to say? Maybe if you make the first move and go out of your way to say hello first? You may find that the owner is just a little gun-shy (maybe parents in the past have been over the top crazy and they're just in protect mode?). It never hurts to be friendly, even if you don't get the response that you're looking for back in return.