NEIGHBORHOOD barre’s fourth North Carolina and first Triangle location is now open. The locally owned fitness studio opened on January 3 and offers a unique workout that combines the elements of dance conditioning, Pilates, and weight training. It’s located at 4711 Hope Valley Road, Suite 6B in the Woodcroft Shopping Center. Pickett Sprouse Commercial Real Estate broker Anna Jenkins represented owner Savannah Hopps in leasing the 1,280 square foot space.
NEIGHBORHOOD barre’s workouts offer low impact classes to people of all fitness levels by focusing on isometric movements paired with equipment like hand weights, resistance tubes and Pilates balls.
“It was important to me that our studio land somewhere where people wanted boutique fitness, but it wasn’t there yet,” said Hopps. “I also wanted a spot where people were already visiting and would be wildly convenient for them to come in for class after work, while running errands or after dropping their kiddos off at school. This location is perfect for all of those things! It truly feels like we are meeting a want and a need in South Durham by being in Woodcroft.”
Hopps is a first-time business owner and moved to Durham from Tennessee in August specifically to become a NEIGHBORHOOD barre franchisee. She had visited Durham in 2018 when her mother had surgery at Duke University Medical Center. When she started instructing NEIGHBORHOOD barre classes in 2020, she quickly knew that she wanted to open her own studio. Since NEIGHBORHOOD barre already had studios in the major cities in Tennessee, she and her husband made the decision that they would have to move. They chose Durham because there were already NEIGHBORHOOD barre studios in North Carolina, but not in the Triangle. It is also drivable to Savannah’s hometown of Knoxville, and as a bonus, her husband is a coffee and beer lover and a nurse, so Durham fit all the requirements.
“We met last February when Savannah came to Durham for a weekend to check out the area and see a few shopping centers,” said Jenkins. “She hadn't yet signed the franchise agreement with Neighborhood Barre, so I worked with her through the whole process. She was set on Durham but hadn't spent much time here, so we discussed various options for where to open the studio. It was clear fairly quickly that the Woodcroft area would be a good fit.”
The lease is for a five-year term. The other North Carolina NEIGHBORHOOD barre locations are in Concord, Charlotte, and Greensboro.