Crunch Franchisee Bets 25 Units on Yoga Joint

Tony Scrimale spent 15 years building CR Fitness into a 98-unit Crunch Fitness franchisee backed by North Castle Partners and Sixth Street. When Crunch ran out of open territory to develop, Scrimale didn't wait around: he signed a development agreement in August to open 25 locations of Yoga Joint, an infrared heated yoga and functional training concept.

Why a Boutique Brand, Not Another Big-Box Gym

Yoga Joint's 10 mature Florida studios averaged $1.77 million in sales in 2025, with studio-level EBITDA margins ranging from negative 5.3 percent to 45.9 percent. Scrimale said the brand's operating model, not just its class formats, sold him: the studios are built specifically to handle high foot traffic in a compact footprint.

A Second Brand for a Single-Brand Operator

CR Fitness will develop the new Yoga Joint locations across its home base of Tampa and Naples, plus Orlando and Dallas. It's a deliberate diversification move for an operator that built its entire multi-unit business on one franchise system, and it mirrors a broader pattern of experienced operators adding a second, uncorrelated concept once their primary brand's territory fills up.

What Comes Next for Yoga Joint

CR Fitness isn't the only bet Yoga Joint is making this year. The brand also signed a deal with former Barry's Bootcamp executive Adam Shane to open 15 New York locations, backed by a $5.5 million raise, with its first two Manhattan and Brooklyn studios opening this fall.