Yoga Joint Gets Investment, Gears Up For Nationwide Franchise Expansion 

Already a force in South Florida, the hot yoga brand is planning to expand across the country, primarily through multi-unit franchise deals

Yoga Joint, an infrared heated yoga and fitness brand based in South Florida, is plotting nationwide franchise expansion after receiving investment from Jon Canarick.

Canarick, a managing partner at North Castle Partners, has made a minority equity investment in Yoga Joint through a friends and family investing round. Canarick also now serves on Yoga Joint’s board of directors alongside the brand’s founder Paige Held, CEO and managing partner Bernie Zarco, and board member David Lopez. Specific terms of the investment weren’t disclosed.

“I am excited to be part of Yoga Joint’s journey and contribute to its mission of promoting a healthier lifestyle across Florida and beyond,” Canarick said. “Together with Paige, Bernie and David, I look forward to exploring opportunities to enhance the company’s growth and community impact.”

Canarick, who has helped scale top fitness brands like Barry’s and Crunch’s CR Fitness in his role at North Castle, gives Yoga Joint instant credibility and operational expertise as the Florida-based chain looks to significantly expand in the years ahead.

“Jon’s extensive experience in the wellness space and his commitment to building trust-based partnerships will be invaluable as we continue to expand Yoga Joint and enhance our exceptional offering,” Zarco said. “We are thrilled to welcome him as a board member and look forward to leveraging his insights to help us reach new heights.”

A Distinct Yoga-Fitness Hybrid

Held, a lifelong yoga enthusiast who spent a decade teaching the modality and learning from experts before launching her first studio, founded Yoga Joint in 2010 in Fort Lauderdale. Since then, the brand has become a mainstay in South Florida’s competitive boutique fitness scene, with studios spread across the region. Last fall, the company announced it had raised $12 million through crowdfunding from its members.

Yoga Joint offers two class types: “Flow60” a Vinyasa-inspired class offering traditional yoga, and “FIIT45,” a high-intensity combination of cardio, plyometrics and strength training that’s grounded in classic yoga principles. Both class types are performed in an infrared-heated room, with temperatures ranging between 94 and 96 degrees Fahrenheit. 

credit: Yoga Joint

“We are 50% yoga and 50% fitness,” Zarco told Athletech News, noting this approach allows the brand to reach both yoga practitioners and general fitness enthusiasts.

Bernie Zarco (credit: Yoga Joint)

Multi-Unit Franchising Is Key To Growth

Yoga Joint already has 14 locations in Florida, with 20 projected to be open by Q1 of 2026. But it’s thinking much bigger than that.

With Canarick now on board, the brand is planning to significantly expand not just in Florida but across the country, primarily through multi-unit franchise deals. Over the past few months, Yoga Joint has received serious interest from entrepreneurs looking to open locations in states including Georgia, Texas, New Jersey, New York and Connecticut.

While competition in the yoga studio market is stiff, Yoga Joint is confident it has what it takes to become the next big brand in boutique fitness, citing strong unit economics at existing locations, the quality of its product and premium touches like a highly functional mobile app. 

For matured units (studios that have been operating for a sufficient amount of time), Yoga Joint is projecting average unit volumes of $2.2 million for 2025, with an average studio pulling in 830 recurring members who account for 65% of revenue.

Held, who runs all programming and teacher training for Yoga Joint, believes her brand offers the best classes of any yoga studio in the country – whether heated or not. 

“Really, the differentiator is that (competitors) don’t have me and my team,” she said. “Some people have tried to copy the classes, but … they haven’t been able to do it.” 

Paige Held (credit: Yoga Joint)

Zarco cautions that Yoga Joint will be “methodical and intelligent” about how it pursues franchise expansion in the short term. But in the long run, he believes the brand can support as many as “a few hundred stores” across the U.S.

Held hasn’t ruled out international expansion, either. 

“I would like to be in every single state, and then outside of the United States,” she said of her ultimate vision for the brand.

For more information on the Yoga Joint franchising opportunity, see here.

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