The Bar Method has passed from its founder through Self Esteem Brands into Purpose Brands, the Roark Capital-backed giant formed by the 2024 Orangetheory merger, and its studio count has fallen by more than a third since the founder sold. The studios themselves are owned by local franchisees, but every strategic decision is made at a 7,000-location conglomerate. The brand answers to Purpose Brands and Roark Capital, not to the founder who built the method.