Franopolis

    The Bar Method

    Franchise research report · reviewed 2026 disclosure data

    Reviewed sources
    Franchising since
    2007
    Source: franchise.org
    Headquarters
    111 Weir Drive, Woodbury, MN 55125
    Source: franchise.barmethod.com

    The Bar Method is a barre fitness studio franchise offering ballet-inspired workouts that combine elements of Pilates, yoga, anatomy and physiology, and strength training. Its studios provide classes designed around precise movements, flexibility, total-body definition, and endurance for clients across a range of ages.

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    Headline figures

    The Bar Method quick facts

    Is The Bar Method a franchise?
    Yes. The Bar Method offers franchises through a Franchise Disclosure Document. At the end of 2025, it reported 77 franchised and 0 company-owned outlets (2026 FDD, Item 20, PDF p. 76).
    How much does it cost to open a The Bar Method franchise?
    The The Bar Method Franchise Disclosure Document reports an estimated initial investment of $240,012 (2026 FDD, Item 7, PDF p. 28). This is the franchisor's disclosed estimate, not a quote. Details
    What is the The Bar Method initial franchise fee?
    The disclosed initial franchise fee for a standard single unit is $42,500 (2026 FDD, Item 5, PDF p. 17). Other fee options (for example multi-unit or conversion) are listed separately in the report. Details
    What ongoing fees does The Bar Method charge?
    The disclosed ongoing royalty is 6% (2026 FDD, Item 6, PDF p. 20). The brand or advertising fund contribution is 2% (2026 FDD, Item 6, PDF p. 20). Other recurring fees are listed in Item 6. Details
    Does The Bar Method disclose financial performance (Item 19)?
    Yes. The The Bar Method FDD includes an Item 19 financial performance representation (2026 FDD, Item 19, PDF p. 73). Figures apply only to the locations and period each one covers. Details
    How many The Bar Method locations are there?
    The FDD reports 77 outlets at the end of 2025 (2026 FDD, Item 20, PDF p. 76). Existing locations do not indicate territory availability. Details
    Is The Bar Method a good franchise to buy?
    Franopolis does not rate or recommend franchises. From the reviewed FDD: Item 19 includes financial performance figures; check which locations and period they cover; Item 20 lists outlet openings, closures and transfers; Item 6 includes a brand or advertising fund contribution on top of royalty; Item 20 also lists current and former franchisees you can contact. Review the full FDD with a franchise attorney and accountant before deciding.

    From reviewed FDD figures only. Not a recommendation or projection.

    What the disclosures show

    1. 1Opening costs are estimated at $240,012 in the 2026 FDD (Item 7); several initial fee options apply.
    2. 2Item 19 covers 12 separate groups: revenue and memberships for 73 Franchised locations; revenue and memberships for 18 Franchised locations; revenue for 73 Franchised locations; revenue for 18 Franchised locations; revenue and memberships for 19 Franchised locations; revenue and memberships for 18 Franchised locations; revenue and memberships for 18 Franchised locations; revenue for 18 Franchised locations; revenue and memberships for 18 Franchised locations; revenue and memberships for 19 Franchised locations; revenue for 73 Franchised locations; revenue for 18 Franchised locations. They are not combined.
    3. 3Outlets grew by 4 in 2025, to 77 (United States, as labeled in the FDD, Item 20).

    From reviewed FDD figures only. Not a recommendation or projection.

    Franchises under $250kOther brands whose disclosed Item 7 low end fits this budget.Compare outlet trendsPut Item 20 counts side by side with up to 3 other brands.

    The Bar Method head-to-head

    Closest peers in the same subcategory, side by side from reviewed FDD figures. Not a ranking or recommendation.

    The Bar MethodVSPFplanet fitness
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    The Bar MethodVSAnytime Fitness
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    The Bar MethodVSORANGETHEORY
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    The Bar MethodVSJazzercise
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    Costs · Items 5–7

    What does it cost to open?

    Estimated opening costs and the fees payable to the franchisor.

    Startup Investment — Item 7

    Total estimated initial investment

    2026 FDD · Item 7 · PDF p. 28

    Standard single-unit franchise fee

    2026 FDD · Item 5 · PDF p. 17
    Discounted and multi-unit options are separate; see all fees.

    Ongoing Fees — Item 6

    Selected recurring charges; payment bases and conditions remain attached to each fee.

    Royalty — 6% of Studio Gross RevenueMain ongoing fee

    77 reported fees, each with its payment basis, are listed below; they haven't been sorted into recurring, initial and occasional groups yet.

    Financial Performance — Item 19

    What results are disclosed—and for which locations?

    12 separate populations, shown apart. Revenue is not owner income.

    73 locations

    Revenue and memberships · 73 locations

    Who is counted
    All 73 full-year franchised studios
    Period
    All Median
    Excluded
    Four not operating entire period and permanently closed studio excluded; member count excludes walk-ins and aggregator-only users; unique count excludes repeat visits within month.
    Method
    Franchisee reports; quartiles ranked by total Gross Revenue for every measure. Gross Revenue excludes refunds/credits/remitted sales taxes, chargebacks not deducted. Monthly counts average studio monthly averages. Source rounded dollars/percentages; no reader rounding.

    These groups are never combined.

    Outlet Changes — Item 20

    How has the outlet count changed?

    United States, as labeled in the FDD · counts as of 2025 of each year.

    2026 FDD · Item 20 · PDF p. 76

    Net +3 outlets, 2023–2025

    0742023732024772025−1+4

    Year-end counts reported in Item 20. The scale starts at zero, so the line looks nearly flat; the labels between the dots show each year's change. Openings and closures for 2025 haven't been pulled from the Item 20 tables yet, so no turnover or churn is shown.

    Questions to investigate

    Prompts based on what this brand's reviewed disclosures do and don't show — not conclusions. Join free as a member to save questions to your research.

    For the franchisor

    • Which line items in the 2026 Item 7 estimate ($240,012) vary most by market, and why?

    • Which initial fee option would apply to my situation, and what conditions or discounts affect it?

    • Which locations are included in the Item 19 figures, and which were excluded?

    • Reported units went from 73 to 77 in 2025. How many new units opened, closed or changed hands?

    • Is a territory available in my area, and how is it defined in my agreement?

    For current and former owners

    • How did your actual startup costs and timeline compare with the Item 7 estimate?

    • How many hours a week do you work in the business, and in what role?

    • How do your results compare with the Item 19 figures, and what explains the difference?

    • What support from the franchisor has been most and least useful?

    For your advisors

    • Ask a franchise attorney to review the territory, renewal, transfer and termination terms.

    • Ask an accountant to build a cash-flow plan using your own assumptions, not the franchisor's.

    Sources & vintage history

    Every displayed fact is retained with its disclosure vintage, item, page, and reviewed status. Prior vintages remain on file rather than being overwritten.

    Citations (2026 FDD)

    1. [1]Estimated initial investment — Item 7 · PDF p. 28
    2. [2]Standard initial franchise fee — Item 5 · PDF p. 17
    3. [3]Item 19 — Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — All 73 full-year franchised studios · PDF p. 73; PDF p. 74; PDF p. 75
    4. [4]Item 19 — Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Third gross revenue quartile · PDF p. 73; PDF p. 74; PDF p. 75
    5. [5]Item 19 — Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — All full-year franchised studios · PDF p. 73
    6. [6]Item 19 — Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Top gross-revenue quartile among the 73 franchised studios open and operating f… · PDF p. 73
    7. [7]Item 19 — Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Bottom gross revenue quartile · PDF p. 73; PDF p. 74; PDF p. 75
    8. [8]Item 19 — Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Top gross revenue quartile · PDF p. 73; PDF p. 74; PDF p. 75
    9. [9]Item 19 — Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Second gross revenue quartile · PDF p. 73; PDF p. 74; PDF p. 75
    10. [10]Item 19 — Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Second gross revenue quartile of the 73 full-period franchised studios · PDF p. 73
    11. [11]Item 19 — Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Third gross-revenue quartile among the 73 franchised studios open and operating… · PDF p. 74
    12. [12]Item 19 — Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Bottom gross-revenue quartile among the 73 franchised studios open and operatin… · PDF p. 73; PDF p. 74
    13. [13]Item 19 — Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — All franchised studios open and operating for the full Relevant Time Period · PDF p. 73
    14. [14]Item 19 — Locations counted not stated in the reviewed record — Second gross-revenue quartile among the 73 franchised studios open and operatin… · PDF p. 74
    15. [15]Outlet counts — Item 20, Table 1 · PDF p. 76

    "PDF p." is the page in the PDF file; "printed p." is the number printed on the FDD page. Source document: FDD

    Territory & operations

    89 addresses in Franopolis's imported location list. Coverage may differ from Item 20 outlet counts.

    These are contract disclosures, not confirmation that any territory is currently available.

    Legal & agreement

    Franchisor financial statements

    Fiscal yearMeasureReported value
    2025property and equipment, net$2,806
    2025other assets$319
    2025deferred costs, net of current portion$3,075
    2025advertising fund revenue$15,979
    2025vendor rebates$65,858
    2025other revenues$2,318
    2025total revenues$375,934
    2025total general, administrative, and advertising fund expense$101,109
    2025income from operations$222,968
    2025other expense interest expense-$66,192
    2025other income$838
    2025other expense-$2,699

    These figures describe the franchisor company, not individual franchise locations.

    SBA-backed loans to franchisees

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    Source: U.S. Small Business Administration 7(a) & 504 FOIA data. Loan volume is not a measure of franchisee success.

    Related research

    Brands in the same subcategory first, then the wider industry, ordered by shared business format, overlapping investment range, Item 20 outlet count and search interest. This is not a ranking or recommendation.

    PFplanet fitnessAnytime FitnessORANGETHEORYJazzerciseCRUNCHEos

    Head-to-head comparisons

    The Bar Method vs planet fitnessThe Bar Method vs Anytime FitnessThe Bar Method vs ORANGETHEORYThe Bar Method vs JazzerciseThe Bar Method vs CRUNCHThe Bar Method vs Eos
    Compare reviewed facts

    At a glance

    Business history

    Not reviewed

    Owner participation

    Not reviewed

    Territory language

    Litigation disclosure

    Not reviewed

    Bankruptcy disclosure

    Not reviewed

    Agreement term

    Not reviewed

    Independent analysis of franchisor-provided data. Not investment advice. Franopolis does not distribute FDDs.

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