CR Fitness Holdings, a major Crunch Fitness franchisee with almost 100 Crunch locations, is preparing to break into the boutique fitness market. The group has signed a multi-unit deal with boutique yoga studio franchise Yoga Joint that will bring new Yoga Joint studios to cities like Tampa, Sarasota, Naples, and Orlando, according to Club Solutions Magazine.
The agreement is for a total of 25 units to be opened in Western and Central Florida, plus Dallas, Texas.
“We think Yoga Joint offers an incredible product,” Brian Bennett, VP of Real Estate at CR Fitness Holdings, told What Now on Tuesday. “The hot studio is something that brings a unique experience. It’s a great additional concept that allows us to tie in with communities that are underserved in the boutique fitness space.”
Bennett says CR Fitness’s first Yoga Joint in Florida is expected to land in Orlando next year, with the franchisee looking ahead to 2028 to break into the Tampa market.
“CR Fitness is exactly the kind of partner we look for as we scale nationally,” Bernie Zarco, CEO at Yoga Joint, said in a press release. “They’ve built one of the most successful multi-unit operations in fitness franchising, and choosing Yoga Joint for their first franchise investment outside Crunch validates our brand’s differentiation and unit economics. This will strengthen our footprint across our home state of Florida, while opening the door to new members in Texas and building real growth momentum in key markets.”
Yoga Joint’s studios feature “state-of-the-art sound, a lighting system that changes color to match the mood of the class, numbered mat spaces, and best-in-class yoga floors,” creating an immersive yoga experience with both traditional Flow classes and endurance-training FIIT classes.
“When we invest outside our core business, we hold ourselves to the same standard. We want proven unit economics, a concept that stands apart in its category, and an operating model built to scale the way we scale,” Tony Scrimale, the CEO of CR Fitness Holdings, said in the press release. “Yoga Joint delivers on all three. The format is genuinely different from anything else in boutique fitness, and the way they train and develop instructors gives us conviction we can deliver that same experience in every studio. We’re ready to bring that to communities across Florida and Dallas.”
You can keep up with all things Yoga Joint by following @yogajoint on Instagram.
