PITTSFORD, N.Y. (WROC) — After 10 years of franchising the business, “breathe” in Pittsford will now be the only location. The franchises are all looking to operate separately as their own business at the end of the year.
The other franchises, which include locations in the Greater Rochester Area and Syracuse, will still be yoga studios, but will now chart their own path.
Cyndi Weis started “breathe” nearly 20 years ago, and since then, it has grown from 1,400 square feet to about 9,000 square feet, and expanded from being just a yoga studio to having a juice bar, food, a retail boutique, and a home goods store next door.
Weis says it’s a combination of her loves. She started yoga when she was 12, is a registered dietitian, and ran a retail boutique. Now she and her daughters run the business.
“I just thought that if I would love a place like, this other people would too,” Weis said.
But now, after a tumultuous three years spurred by the pandemic, she and the other franchise owners made a unanimous decision to dissolve. “They will take everything they have learned about ‘breathe’ and their experiences, and then rebrand themselves.
“The analogy of them growing up and going off to college,” she continued. “I feel like we’ve set up the dorm room, bought the tv, and now they’re ready to take flight.”
One of those franchises is in Greece, run by Ryan Barry. She also runs another in Webster. Barry says that she is the first franchisee of “breathe.” Barry said that her own passion for yoga and for running a studio came right from Weis.
“Cyndi was teaching and said some of the most inspiring things I’ve ever heard,” she said, recalling a full class with men and women of all ages; who even cried together in the class.
Barry and her team — all of whom formerly worked in education — have run their franchise together since the beginning. But now Barry is turning her yoga studio into a community space called “Barry’s.”
She says it will be a joint venture with her and her brother, who is a restaurant owner in Webster called “Barry’s Irish Pub.” Once they team up, the new place will have healthy food and drinks, live music and yoga.
“If you love this place now, you’re going to get blown away with phase 2 of what we’ve got coming,” Barry said. She hopes to get “Barry’s” up and running by next year.
