San Diego Journal
August 25, 2008

Liberty Station Raises the Bar for Fitness Retailers

By LIZ WIEDEMANN
San Diego Business Journal Staff

Former college athlete Allison McCurdy discovered the Bar Method, a fitness center with its own signature routine she would later call an “addiction,” while visiting a friend in San Francisco.

“It was a cross between ballet, yoga, Pilates and stretching that kept moving and never bored me like some other workouts I’d done,” said McCurdy, 34, who was working in corporate marketing at the time.

The San Francisco-based exercise facility franchise had expanded into Los Angeles, and McCurdy was ready to introduce her new favorite workout to the San Diego market.
“I found myself driving up to L.A. from San Diego just to go to a class,” said McCurdy, adding that the Bar Method was created by an injured ballet dancer who wanted an intense workout without putting unhealthy stress on her body.

Since May 2007, McCurdy has purchased the rights to San Diego’s first Bar Method franchise, negotiated a lease at Point Loma’s Liberty Station and is now building the 3,100-square-foot studio. The facility is set to open this fall.

With 12 locations nationwide and five more slated for fall openings, the Bar Method would become the seventh health and wellness retailer at Liberty Station.
Each location requires a $30,000 franchise fee and an estimated $200,000 to $300,000 build-out cost.

To begin, McCurdy plans to use three instructors, offering 30 to 35 classes seven days a week, with the goal of doubling the number of classes within six months.
“Each hour-long class costs $24, so we are very careful to limit class sizes to ensure plenty of space and instructor attention for each client,” she said.

McCurdy is currently accepting signups and payments online in advance of opening day, at barmethod.com/sandiego.