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The Bar Method

Barre fitness studio chain · 82+ locations · US, Canada

The Bar Method was the original barre franchise. It's now inside a 7,000-location Roark Capital-backed conglomerate, and its studio count has fallen from 123 to 80-plus since its founder sold.

Investor-backedDisplacement RiskFranchise

The Big Picture

Mixed Picture

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 declined from 123 to 80-plus 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.

The Dirty Details

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Company data last updated August 2026

How does one person build and research all this? They don't: here's how it actually works. Verdicts are our opinions, based on the public sources cited above as of August 2026. Spotted something off? or learn more.