Barre Centric reopens gym in downtown Buffalo, adds yoga classes

The first floor of the Mid-City Apartments building at 1665 Main St. is the new headquarters for Barre Centric. The 1,600-square-foot space can accommodate classes for up to 25 people.

Barre Centric previously operated a studio down the street from its new location from 2014 to 2020. Owners Rachael Jarosz and Giavana de Zitter first opened their Clarence business in 2012 and also have an office in East Aurora.

With more of our members returning to their office commute and more people moving downtown into newly remodeled living spaces, we see now more than ever a great opportunity to bring Barre Centric back to the city center,” Jarosz said.

The center’s studio will also offer yoga classes, a new addition made possible through a partnership with Raw Renewal Yoga, owned by Megan Ruggirello.

Ruggirello previously had a yoga studio on Court Street but had to close after purchasing the space it was renting. Raw Renewal Yoga will have at least 10 weekly yoga classes in the Barre Centrics downtown studio.

Raw Renewal Yoga is leasing studio space from Barre Centric, which helps both small businesses offset the rising costs of things like rent and utilities, Jarosz said.

(We were) getting a little more creative with business models in the post-Covid era and making the space work for both and offering a space for its members as well, Jarosz said.

Barre Centric and Raw Renewal have previously partnered, hosting barre and yoga retreats in the Bahamas, Costa Rica, Belize and Spain. This fall they will be hosting a trip to Tuscany.

When Jarosz and de Zitter opened their boutique fitness studio more than a decade ago, they were one of the first local studios dedicated to barre classes, a full-body, low-impact, strength-training workout where participants use a ballet barre to maintain their balance.

Since then, dozens of similar studios have popped up in Western New York. What sets Barre Centric apart from those other offerings, Jarosz said, is that Barre Centric is one of the few locally owned studios with multiple locations.

Having access to three studios with full scheduled classes is really beneficial for members so they can tailor classes to fit their busy schedules and travels, she said.

Since Barre Centric opened its downtown studio on July 5, many former members have returned for classes, Jarosz said.

Many of our members have returned, as members we hadn’t seen in a couple of years, Jarosz said. It seems like people are really excited to be back in town and were just trying to keep growing and welcoming new people.