Barre 3

Barre3 is a boutique fitness brand built around a full-body, low-impact workout that combines elements of ballet barre, yoga, and Pilates. Classes are designed to improve strength, balance, and mobility in a way that can be tailored to different ages and fitness levels, which helps studios attract a wide cross-section of local residents, from young professionals to parents and older adults. The concept lives in both physical studios and a large digital platform, giving members the option to work out in person or at home.

The company was founded in 2008 by Sadie and Chris Lincoln in Portland, Oregon. Before launching Barre3, Sadie Lincoln spent many years leading group fitness programming at 24 Hour Fitness, experience that shaped the format and focus of the brand’s class model. The first studio opened in Portland’s Pearl District, and franchising followed soon after. A key milestone came when Barre3 reached roughly 100 locations around 2015, signaling that the franchise model and workout concept could scale across multiple markets.

As of October 2024, Barre3 operates about 175 studios, primarily across the United States, along with a smaller group of international locations. The majority of locations are franchised, supported by an in-house corporate team based in Portland. Over the past five years, the footprint has grown from roughly 160 studios to the current system, with new openings in major metropolitan areas, affluent suburbs, and mixed-use districts. During this period, the company has also invested heavily in its on-demand and livestream offerings, which expanded sharply during the late 2010s and early 2020s and now function as a permanent complement to the studio network rather than a side business.

The current studio map includes clusters of locations in markets such as Portland, Seattle, Denver, Austin, Atlanta, and New York, along with a growing presence in other large U.S. MSAs and college-adjacent neighborhoods. Most studios sit in infill suburban centers, street retail, or ground-floor mixed-use space, often next to daily-needs retail, specialty grocery, coffee, or wellness tenants. Because the concept relies on relatively modest space and light build-out compared with full-service gyms, Barre3 can often backfill small-shop space or upper-level suites that might be harder to place with traditional retailers.

For landlords, brokers, and developers, Barre3 functions as an experience-driven, membership-based anchor within the boutique fitness category. The studios generate recurring visits from a loyal client base, with peak traffic in early-morning, mid-day, and evening periods that help support surrounding retail and food operators. The brand’s focus on health-conscious, higher-income consumers and its established franchise system give it credibility with institutional and local owners alike, while its willingness to operate in both neighborhood centers and urban mixed-use projects makes it a flexible fit across a range of modern retail formats.