Club Pilates Expands to Mexico
A minimum of 65 Club Pilates studios will open over the next decade following a master franchise agreement with Riser Fitness, an experienced Club Pilates franchisee group
Club Pilates is headed to Mexico following a master franchise agreement signed with Riser Fitness that will see at least 65 studios open over the next ten years.
The group, launched in 2013 and backed by Fortress Investment Group, is an existing Club Pilates franchisee in the U.S. with over 60 studios and more than 40 additional domestic territories in development.
Bob Kaufman, Xponential’s president of international, remarked that the boutique fitness and wellness franchisor is ecstatic to debut in Mexico. Xponential Fitness onboarded the international franchising expert last fall to drive its expansion efforts.
“The Riser Fitness team are best-in-class operators of Club Pilates in the U.S., and we are excited to team up with them on introducing our much-loved Pilates experience to consumers in Mexico,” Kaufman said.
Riser Fitness Takes the Lead
Mike Gray, Riser Fitness president and chief operating officer, noted that the collaboration with Club Pilates and Xponential has already led to tremendous growth in the U.S. Riser Fitness recently secured a $72 million growth capital committment from Fortress Investment Group to fuel its continued growth.
“Now we’re excited to bring that same experience to Mexico, starting in Mexico City,” Gray said. “With Xponential’s continued support and shared vision, we are confident in our ability to deliver the best in Pilates to new markets and maintain our momentum as we expand internationally.”
Considered Xponential’s darling boutique fitness brand (and the largest), Club Pilates has studios open in 17 other markets. The brand can be found in Australia, the Dominican Republic, France, Germany, Japan, Kuwait, Portugal, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, and the U.K. Agreements are also in place to develop Club Pilates in Austria, Ireland, the Netherlands, Qatar, New Zealand, and Switzerland.
Joining Club Pilates in Mexico is Xponential’s barre fitness brand, Pure Barre, following a master franchise agreement. The first location is set to open in Mexico City in Q1 2025, with additional locations to follow. Pure Barre is also set to open its first location in Japan later this year.
Pilates Power
Pilates has dominated fitness headlines in 2024 as fitness consumers have fallen in love with its whole-body approach. The workout promises a toned physique, increased flexibility, and improved balance and posture.
International fitness brand Les Mills recently launched Les Mills Pilates, with CEO Sean Turner noting that the decision was easy.
“Its star power is huge right now,” Turner said of Pilates.
September also saw L Catterton acquire a majority stake in Solidcore in a deal that values the brand between $600 million and $700 million. The Pilates-inspired Solidcore is now gearing up to open around 30 studios nationwide in 2025, ATN learned. In the same month, Reform RX, makers of a digitally connected Pilates Reformer, secured $5.1 million in funding to drive its global expansion.
Functional fitness franchise F45 has also expanded into the Pilates arena with Vaura Pilates and FS8. FS8 opened its first U.S. location in Austin, Texas, and recently launched its first on-base studio at the Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) in Miramar, California. The studio serves military members and their families.
Check out ATN’s round-up of the best Pilates franchises to open.
