As a barre studio owner, there will be many business costs that need to be covered. But whether you decide to run a barre studio as a franchisee or open your own studio, those costs will vary.
We’ve broken down the costs of running some of the major barre studio franchises and the costs of starting your own studio business so you can compare.
Pure Barre is the largest and most established barre franchise with over 500 studios across North America. Pure Barre has been around since 2001 and became a franchise in 2008. The headquarters is in Irvine, California.
Expenses
Franchise Fee: $60,000
Training-Related Expenses: $500-$3,000
Real Estate/Lease: $7,000-$33,500
Leasehold Improvements: $20,000-$185,000
Signage and Graphics: $15,000-$20,000
Insurance: $900-$1,000
Specialty and Other Exercise Equipment: $3,000-$7,000
Opening Inventory: $15,000
Utility Deposits: $0-$1,000
Licenses and Permits: $0-$3,000
Furniture, Fixtures, and Related Supplies: $16,000-$21,000
Audio/Visual Equipment (including Computer System): $14,500-$18,500
Shipping: $1,000-$4,000
Pre-Opening Marketing: $1,000
Instructor Training and Related Expenses: $8,750-$22,250
Reserve Funds for 3 Months: $15,000-$30,000
Estimated Total: $191,650 - $439,250
Ongoing Expenses
Royalty Fees: 7% of gross sales
Marketing Fees: 1% of gross sales
Source: FranchiseDirect.com
This is one of the most reputable barre franchises but also one of the most expensive.
Barre3 has more than 155 franchise studios run by female entrepreneurs in the US plus an online-workout streaming-subscribe base in over 98 countries. It’s been around since 2008 and the flagship studio is located in Portland, Oregon.
Expenses
Franchise Fees: $41,250-$50,000
Financing Fees: $0-$9,372
Insurance: $3,500-$4,000
Training/Travel Expenses: $750-$10,000
Lease Expenses: $4,300-$23,470
Professional Services: $1,000-$5,600
Site Selection: $5,000
Architects, Engineers, Contractors, and Designers: $31,000-$36,000
Additional Engineers: $0-$5,500
Leasehold Improvements: $153,550-$374,400
Equipment: $11,830-$24,826
Software: $237-$900
Opening Inventory: $8,250-$12,400
Grand Opening Advertising: $5,000-$8,000
Reserve Funds for 6 Months: $32,000-$60,000
Estimated Total: $297,667 - $629,468
Ongoing Expenses
Royalty Fees: 5% of gross revenue or $850 per month, whatever is greater
Source: Barre3Franchise.com
There is the most expensive of the three barre franchises were examining, however, the price varies greatly depending on the market where the barre studio is located.
The Bar Method has 122 studio locations in the US and Canada. It opened in 2001 with the flagship store San Francisco, California, and opened an online platform in 2013.
Expenses
Franchise Fee: $50,000
Fitting Up the Studio: $150,000-$250,000
Other Start-Up Costs: $61,500 to $155,500
Working Capital: $30,000 to $90,000
Estimated Total: $291,500 - $545,500
Ongoing Expenses
Royalty Fees: 6% of gross sales
Source: TheBarreBlog.com
It’s difficult to know the costs of franchising a The Bar Method studio without directly inquiring because they aren’t at all transparent about costs on their site.
Opening your own studio, overall, actually means less cost than buying into a franchise if you examine the numbers.
Expenses
Franchise Fees: $0
Demo/Build Out/Facilities: $75,000
Equipment: $10,000
Signage/Marketing: $10,000
Legal/Professional: $15,000
Reserves: $30,000
Miscellaneous: $10,000
Mistakes: $50,000
Estimated Total: $200,000
Source: Amy Mewborn – Systems of Success
While there are certainly disadvantages to going it alone in the barre business– such as lacking resources/having to start from scratch, higher risk of mistakes, higher legal costs, and a longer and more challenging learning curve –these disadvantages could really be worth the money saved from not investing in a franchise if you can make good profit margins.
The numbers don’t lie– starting your own barre studio proves cheaper than investing in an existing barre franchise. However, it’s important to note that a larger investment in a franchise could yield higher profits than what you could make owning your own business. It’s important to research the numbers, seek out expert advice, and get as much industry education as possible before deciding how to invest in a barre business.
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