The Bar Method
The Bar Method is a private boutique fitness franchise operating nearly 100 barre workout studios across the US and Canada, complemented by a Bar Online digital streaming platform and branded equipment e-commerce, serving general fitness enthusiasts, prenatal and postnatal women, and clients seeking rehabilitation-oriented low-impact exercise.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2001
- HeadquartersSan Francisco, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What The Bar Method does
The Bar Method is a private boutique fitness franchise that operates a proprietary barre workout methodology originally developed under the guidance of physical therapists. Founded circa 2000-2001 by Burr Leonard, the company has built a footprint of nearly 100 franchised studio locations across the US and Canada, operated by individual studio owners who are required to teach classes themselves. The core product is the Bar Method workout, which combines isometric movements, bodyweight resistance, and timed sequences at the barre with floor-based core work, and is differentiated by techniques such as the proprietary 'Bar Method Tuck' and a physical-therapy-informed approach intended to be safe for clients ranging from prenatal women to those recovering from injury. The company has expanded its offering beyond the studio through Bar Online, a digital subscription platform streaming on-demand and live classes via web, mobile, and Chromecast, and through a branded equipment and apparel e-commerce storefront operated in partnership with Bensussen Deutsch & Associates.
The Bar Method monetizes through four primary revenue streams: studio memberships paid to franchisees, royalty and franchise fees paid to the franchisor (The Bar Method Franchisor LLC), Bar Online digital subscriptions billed monthly, semi-annually, or annually, and direct-to-consumer equipment and apparel sales including a registered 'Booty Kicker' portable barre. Go-to-market relies on introductory class offers (13 classes for $78; first class for $29 with a free week), testimonial- and referral-driven community marketing, content marketing through the company blog, and medical/professional endorsements from physical therapy partners such as Elysian Physical Therapy. HSA/FSA eligibility is enabled through a partnership with Dr. B for members who obtain a Letter of Medical Necessity.
The Bar Method is owned by Purpose Brands, a diversified parent company of wellness and lifestyle brands, and the franchisor entity maintains its corporate headquarters in Woodbury, Minnesota. The company holds registered trademarks for its core brand and the Booty Kicker product line and operates under a small corporate headcount (1-10 employees at the franchisor level), reflecting an asset-light franchise model.
The Bar Method firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Bar Method
- Legal name
- The Bar Method Franchisor LLC
- Website
- https://barmethod.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2001
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- The Bar Method is a private boutique fitness franchise operating nearly 100 barre workout studios across the US and Canada, complemented by a Bar Online digital streaming platform and branded equipment e-commerce, serving general fitness enthusiasts, prenatal and postnatal women, and clients seeking rehabilitation-oriented low-impact exercise.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Bar Method industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Boutique Fitness Studios
- NAICS
- Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers (71394), Sports and Recreation Instruction (61162)
- SIC
- Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Barre Classes (HSADABAG)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Online/Remote Personal Training & Programming (HSADAAAM), Small-Group Personal Training (Semi-Private) (HSADAAAN)
Keywords
Where The Bar Method is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- San Francisco
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
The Bar Method business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Studio Memberships: Monthly or class-based studio memberships for in-person barre classes at franchise locations across the US and Canada.
- Bar Online Subscription: Digital subscription for at-home online barre workouts accessible via web, tablets, smartphones, and television (via Chromecast). Memberships are billed monthly, semi-annually or annually with automatic renewal.
- Equipment Sales: Sale of branded fitness equipment including workout balls, mats, stretching straps, workout sliders, air pumps, and portable ballet barres (Booty Kicker). Also includes apparel, accessories, and grip socks.
- Franchise Fees: Revenue from franchisee licensing and support fees for studio operators.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | New Client Introductory Offer - 13 Classes |
| Subscription | Pay-as-you-go | New Client First Class Offer |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Workout Equipment - Balls |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Workout Equipment - Mats |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Workout Equipment - Straps and Sliders |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Portable Exercise Barre |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Air Pump |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
The Bar Method product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Bar Method sells a proprietary barre fitness workout delivered through nearly 100 franchise studios across the US and Canada and through the Bar Online digital subscription platform for at-home classes. Its core offering is a physical-therapist-designed full-body workout combining isometric movements at the barre, bodyweight resistance, and timed sequences to music, with personalized instructor adjustments in every class. Complementary offerings include branded fitness equipment, apparel, accessories, and franchise licenses for studio operators.
Product overview
The Bar Method is a boutique fitness franchise offering the original barre workout, now comprising a unified fitness platform with in-studio classes and digital offerings. The core product is The Bar Method workout—a physical therapy-informed barre class featuring isometric movements at the barre combined with floor exercises. This is complemented by Bar Online (on-demand and live-streamed classes accessible via web, mobile, and TV), multiple class formats (Bar Strength, Bar Method Cardio, Bar Flow, Bar Restore, Prenatal, Beginner, and Advanced), branded equipment (balls, mats, straps, sliders, and the Booty Kicker portable barre), and apparel/accessories. The Bar Method workout serves as the foundation, with Bar Online extending access digitally, class format variations catering to different fitness goals (strength, cardio, flexibility, recovery), and physical products supporting both studio and home workouts.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Bar Online: Digital fitness platform offering on-demand barre classes accessible via web, tablets, smartphones, and television streaming.
- The Bar Method Shop
Products and services
- The Bar Method (Core Barre Workout) The original, physical-therapist-designed barre workout combining dance conditioning, Pilates-style elements, isometric movements at the barre, and bodyweight resistance for strength, flexibility, toning, and cardiovascular conditioning. Delivered in-person at franchise studios and via the Bar Online digital platform for individual adult consumers across all fitness levels.
- Bar Online Digital Subscription Platform
Quantifiable outcome
- 250-500 calories burned per class with additional post-workout calorie burn
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use The Bar Method
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
The Bar Method technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration6 records
AI capability1 record
Feature4 records
The Bar Method partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- Dr. BminorThe Bar Method has partnered with Dr. B to help determine HSA/FSA eligibility for members who have a Letter of Medical Necessity from a healthcare professional. Members can use HSA/FSA funds for their Bar Method membership if they obtain the required documentation.
- Bensussen Deutsch & Associates (BDA)minorBDA operates the Bar Method Shop e-commerce site on behalf of the company. BDA is a merchandise management and promotional products company that handles online retail operations including order processing, customer service, and fulfillment.
- Elysian Physical TherapyminorElysian Physical Therapy, led by Elyse Quartini, MS, DPT, OCS, endorses The Bar Method for patients with hip pain and injuries. The physical therapy practice recommends The Bar Method's functional training approach for rehabilitation and injury prevention.
- Purpose BrandscoreThe Bar Method is a Purpose Brands company. Purpose Brands is a parent company that owns multiple health and wellness brands, providing shared resources, brand positioning, and strategic direction.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
The Bar Method competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Solidcore: Solidcore is a rapidly growing boutique fitness franchise using sliding-disc strength workouts on reformer-like machines. It is an emerging direct competitor to Bar Method for the affluent female consumer seeking low-impact strength training, and has recently expanded its franchised studio footprint rapidly.
Broad incumbents
- Xponential Fitness: Xponential Fitness is the publicly-traded parent company of Pure Barre, Club Pilates, CycleBar, StretchLab, and Rumble. As a multi-brand boutique fitness platform, it represents the dominant capital-backed incumbent that franchises and competes with Bar Method across multiple sub-categories and across international master franchise deals.
- CorePower Yoga: CorePower Yoga is a large national boutique yoga and fitness studio chain with 200+ locations. It competes with Bar Method for the same female, urban/suburban, affluent fitness consumer and offers class formats that overlap with Bar Flow and Bar Restore.
- F45 Training: F45 Training is a global functional training franchise with 1,500+ studios. While format differs, it competes for the same franchisee capital and the same boutique-fitness member demographic; the franchise economics and unit-level scaling are highly comparable benchmarks for The Bar Method's franchisor business.
- Orangetheory Fitness: Orangetheory is a global franchised boutique fitness brand with 1,500+ studios offering heart-rate-based interval training. While format differs (cardio-focused group training vs. barre), it competes for the same franchise investor pool and the same middle-to-upper-income consumer fitness dollar.
Direct peers
- Barre3: Barre3 is a barre franchise with ~150 studios offering group classes blending ballet, Pilates, and yoga. It is a directly comparable single-modality brand with similar pricing, instructor-led model, and franchised expansion strategy targeting the same female-skewing affluent demographic as The Bar Method.
- Physique 57: Physique 57 (formerly Physique 57) is a barre-focused boutique studio chain offering high-intensity interval-based barre classes. It competes head-to-head with Bar Method on methodology, premium positioning, and in-studio experience, though it leans more company-owned than franchise.
- Club Pilates: Club Pilates is a rapidly scaled reformer/mat Pilates franchise with 800+ studios owned by Xponential Fitness. While it is mat and reformer Pilates rather than pure barre, it competes for the same boutique fitness customer wallet share and franchise investors, making it the most consequential adjacent-format competitor.
- Pure Barre: Pure Barre is the largest barre-focused franchise in North America with 600+ studios. It is a direct competitor offering group barre classes using similar small-isolate-movement methodology, with comparable pricing and class-pack structures. Pure Barre is owned by Xponential Fitness, giving it greater capital and unit-economics visibility than Bar Method.
Regional players
- beemok (formerly Fitness Formula Clubs / East Bank Club): beemok is the parent company of Self Esteem Brands, which shares Purpose Brands affiliation. While not a direct barre competitor, it is a meaningful regional multi-brand wellness operator in the same parent ecosystem and represents a relevant comparable for unit-economics and franchised wellness brand operations.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
The Bar Method social profiles
Digital presenceThe Bar Method compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
The Bar Method financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Bar Method leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
The Bar Method funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Bar Method M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about The Bar Method
What does The Bar Method do?
The Bar Method sells a proprietary barre fitness workout delivered through nearly 100 franchise studios across the US and Canada and through the Bar Online digital subscription platform for at-home classes. Its core offering is a physical-therapist-designed full-body workout combining isometric movements at the barre, bodyweight resistance, and timed sequences to music, with personalized instructor adjustments in every class. Complementary offerings include branded fitness equipment, apparel, accessories, and franchise licenses for studio operators.
Is The Bar Method a public or private company?
The Bar Method is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was The Bar Method founded?
The Bar Method was founded in 2001. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is The Bar Method based?
The Bar Method is headquartered in San Francisco, United States, in the North America region.
How does The Bar Method make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Studio Memberships are the primary driver. The others are bar Online Subscription, equipment Sales and franchise Fees.
Who are The Bar Method's main competitors?
Solidcore is listed as an emerging player. Broad incumbents are Xponential Fitness, CorePower Yoga, F45 Training and Orangetheory Fitness. Direct peers are Barre3, Physique 57, Club Pilates and Pure Barre. beemok (formerly Fitness Formula Clubs / East Bank Club) is listed as a regional player.
Does The Bar Method have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Bar Method.
What industry is The Bar Method in?
The Bar Method's product category is Boutique Fitness Studios. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HSADABAG, Barre Classes, with a secondary code of HSADAAAM, Online/Remote Personal Training & Programming. Its NAICS code is 71394 and its SIC code is 7997.