Aligned Fitness Buys Six Club Pilates Studios in New Jersey

Aligned Fitness Holdings has bought six Club Pilates studios in central New Jersey, lifting its portfolio to 61 studios and opening a new state for the operator. The deal folds in two studios from Gary Laden and four from Karen and Todd Spidare. It is Aligned's first move into the New Jersey market.

Why Operators Are Rolling Up Boutique Studios

Aligned started in 2016 with six Club Pilates studios in Raleigh, North Carolina, and has grown mostly by buying out existing franchisees rather than building from zero. Acquiring proven studios brings trained instructors, active members, and predictable cash flow from day one, which lowers the risk of opening a location cold. For a single-brand operator, that approach turns scattered owners into one larger, more efficient platform.

What Private Equity Backing Signals

Eagle Merchant Partners stands behind Aligned and sees more room to consolidate within the Club Pilates system. Capital from a private equity partner lets an operator move quickly when individual franchisees decide to sell, and it builds the kind of scale buyers reward at exit. The pattern shows boutique fitness shifting from many small owners toward fewer professional operators.

What Franchisees Should Watch

For Club Pilates owners weighing their next step, Aligned's expansion sets a benchmark on price and terms when a larger operator comes knocking. The question for any seller is whether to cash out or keep building, because each studio that changes hands raises the bar for what scaled operators can offer members and landlords. Single-studio owners in active markets should expect more of these calls.