FacebookMeta
prohibitions on your posting or blogging of comments about us, the Studio or The Bar Method system. This prohibition includes personal blogs, common social networks like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X
From the filings
+5.479% units YoYHQ-led decisions
The Bar Method
FitnessSoftware purchasing at The Bar Method is controlled at the headquarters level, with a mandated studio management system and system website creating a defined tech stack for its 77 franchised locations. The executive team, led by CEO Thomas Leverton and Interim CFO Robert Gunkel, oversees a system that generated an average unit volume of $422,969. For vendors, this represents a compact but centrally governed account with a 5.5% year-over-year unit growth rate.
For software vendors selling into US franchise brands.
Live signals
Total units
77
77 franchised
Unit growth YoY
+5.479%
vs prior filing
AUV
$423K
Item 19, 2026
Royalty
6%
of gross sales
Ad fund
2%
national + local
Initial fee
$43K
per unit
Investment range
$240K–$491K
all-in, Item 7
Procurement
Approved supplier
from the filing
Non-compete
2 years
from the filing
Item 19
Claims
from the filing
Ongoing fee load
What the operator pays every month
The recurring percentage of gross sales named in this filing, before rent, labour or any technology fee.
8%of gross sales (FY2026)
15% reference
Mandated & recommended tech
The systems vendors compete with
Systems named in Item 11 of this filing. None is recorded as mandated here, which is not the same as the filing mandating nothing. Read Item 11 before treating the category as open.
Google Business ProfileGoogle
Pinterest; Threads, Reddit and future networks or platforms to be launched in the future, professional networks, business profiles or online review or opinion sites like LinkedIn, Google Business Prof
InstagramMeta
prohibitions on your posting or blogging of comments about us, the Studio or The Bar Method system. This prohibition includes personal blogs, common social networks like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X
LinkedInLinkedIn
pchat and Pinterest; Threads, Reddit and future networks or platforms to be launched in the future, professional networks, business profiles or online review or opinion sites like LinkedIn, Google Bus
PinterestPinterest
gging of comments about us, the Studio or The Bar Method system. This prohibition includes personal blogs, common social networks like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X, Snapchat and Pinterest; Threads,
SnapchatSnapchat
osting or blogging of comments about us, the Studio or The Bar Method system. This prohibition includes personal blogs, common social networks like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X, Snapchat and Pintere
ThreadsMeta
mments about us, the Studio or The Bar Method system. This prohibition includes personal blogs, common social networks like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X, Snapchat and Pinterest; Threads, Reddit and
TikTokTikTok
s on your posting or blogging of comments about us, the Studio or The Bar Method system. This prohibition includes personal blogs, common social networks like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X, Snapchat
TwitterX
s to be launched in the future, professional networks, business profiles or online review or opinion sites like LinkedIn, Google Business Profile or Yelp; live-blogging tools like Twitter and Snapchat
YelpYelp
and future networks or platforms to be launched in the future, professional networks, business profiles or online review or opinion sites like LinkedIn, Google Business Profile or Yelp; live-blogging
Franchisor behaviours
What the franchisor requires
26 requirements the franchisor states in this filing, each in its own words; 4 explicit no's; 4 questions the text does not settle, which is not a no.
Accounting
Must the franchisee use an accounting or bookkeeping system designated or approved by the franchisor?
YesFranchise agreement
You agree to establish and maintain at your own expense a bookkeeping, accounting and recordkeeping system conforming to the requirements and formats that we periodically specify.
Does the franchisor have direct or independent electronic access to the franchisee's financial, sales or customer records?
YesItem 11
We will have independent, unlimited access to all information and data in your computer system, including continuous independent access to all Client Information and other information in the Studio Management System.
Must the franchisee submit periodic financial statements (monthly, quarterly or annual) to the franchisor?
YesFranchise agreement
You also agree to give us in the manner and format that we periodically specify: (a) on or before the tenth (10th) day of each month, a report on the Studio’s Gross Revenue during the previous month; (b) within ninety (90) days after the end of each of your fiscal years, annual profit and loss and source and use of…
How the franchisor buys
Is the franchisor or an affiliate itself a supplier of required products, services or systems?
YesItem 8
We, or our designated vendor, are currently the sole providers of music services to be played at live Classes at your Studio.
Does the franchisor reserve the right to change designated suppliers or systems at any time?
YesItem 11
We may, at our option, periodically change the Studio Management System or components of the Studio Management System that we designate or approve for all similarly situated Bar Method Studios.
How much revenue did the franchisor and its affiliates earn from franchisee purchases in the last fiscal year?
111315Item 8
For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2025, we received $111,315 in revenue from the purchase, lease or sale of required goods or services to our franchisees, which was 3.04% of our total revenues of $3,659,678.
Does the franchisor or an affiliate receive rebates, commissions or other revenue from designated or approved suppliers?
YesItem 8
We derive revenue from your purchases or leases of goods, services, supplies, fixtures, equipment, inventory and products from our mandatory, designated or preferred suppliers.
Item 8 gives this proportion in one of two shapes: separate percentages for establishing the business and for operating it, or one figure covering "establishing and operating" together. Where they are separate, answer with the operating percentage; where the passage gives only the combined figure, answer with that. What percentage of the franchisee's purchases must come from designated or approved suppliers?
30Item 8
Currently, the purchases that you must make from us or our affiliates, from approved suppliers, or according to our System Standards represent approximately 70% to 80% of your total purchases in establishing, and approximately 30% to 50% of your total purchases in operating, your Studio.
Can a franchisee propose a new supplier for the franchisor's approval?
YesItem 8
If you want to use any products, services or other items for or at the Studio that we have not yet evaluated, or other products, services or other items provided from a supplier or distributor that we have not yet approved you first must submit sufficient information, specifications and samples for us to determine…
Data and IT
Must the franchisee comply with PCI, data-security or cybersecurity standards set by the franchisor?
YesItem 1
Because you will accept credit cards, you will also have to comply with any general laws and regulations relating to the acceptance of credit cards, including the Payment Card Industry (“PCI”) and Data Security Standard (“DSS”).
Franchise management
Must the franchisee participate in a customer-satisfaction or net-promoter survey program?
YesItem 8
You must participate in all national promotional marketing campaigns, member programs, consumer sales and satisfaction programs or surveys that we require, including loyalty programs, rewards programs, member challenges, as well as obtain and maintain all technology we require to deliver member programming.
Does the franchisor conduct periodic inspections, audits or evaluations of the franchised business?
YesFranchise agreement
We may at any time during your business hours, and without prior notice to you, examine the Studio’s business, bookkeeping and accounting records, tax records and returns, and other records.
Can the franchisor change the operations manual and brand standards unilaterally?
YesItem 11
We may modify the Operations Manual periodically to reflect changes in System Standards.
Must the franchisor approve the franchisee's site or location before opening?
YesItem 11
Before you acquire any site, you must submit to us information and materials we require and obtain our approval to your site.
Marketing
Is a minimum grand opening advertising spend required?
YesItem 7
If you are opening a new Bar Method Studio, you must spend an amount we determine, which will not be less than $16,200 nor more than $25,000, on a Grand Opening Program we have approved for your Bar Method Studio beginning approximately 8-12 weeks before your scheduled opening and ending approximately 16 weeks…
Is the franchisee required to spend a minimum amount on local advertising or marketing, as a percentage of sales or a fixed amount?
YesItem 11
Your annual Marketing Fund Contribution plus your Local Marketing Spend combined must equal at least 5% of your Studio’s Gross Revenue for the prior calendar year.
Must the franchisee participate in a customer loyalty or rewards program?
YesItem 8
You must participate in all national promotional marketing campaigns, member programs, consumer sales and satisfaction programs or surveys that we require, including loyalty programs, rewards programs, member challenges, as well as obtain and maintain all technology we require to deliver member programming.
Must the franchisee participate in a regional advertising cooperative when one exists?
YesItem 11
If we establish a cooperative in your area, or there is an existing cooperative in your area when you become a franchisee, you must participate and contribute your share to the cooperative.
Operations
Must the franchisee buy products from a designated distributor?
YesItem 8
You must purchase products, services supplies, equipment and other items we specify for the Studio only according to our System Standards and, if we require, only from suppliers or distributors that we designate or approve (which may include or be limited to us or our affiliates).
Must equipment be purchased from designated or approved suppliers?
YesItem 8
You currently must buy only from us all of the fitness accessories and equipment needed to operate your Studio, including: dumbbells, sliders, mats, balls, stretching straps, risers and other initial equipment.
Payments
Are royalties and other fees collected by automatic bank debit (ACH or electronic funds transfer) from the franchisee's account?
YesItem 6
Under our current automatic debit program for the Studio, we will debit your account on or after the payment day for the Royalty and Marketing Fund contributions.
Point of sale
Must the franchisee use a specific point-of-sale system designated or approved by the franchisor?
YesItem 11
You must acquire the Studio Management System software and other related services, including the POS system, only from us, our affiliate, ProVision or our designated vendors.
Does the franchisor have independent access to the data in the franchisee's POS or computer system?
YesItem 11
We will have independent, unlimited access to all information and data in your computer system, including continuous independent access to all Client Information and other information in the Studio Management System.
Sales and CRM
Must the franchisee use a CRM system designated or approved by the franchisor?
YesItem 11
You must obtain, maintain and use in operating the Studio the Studio Management System that we periodically specify.
Training
Can the franchisor charge the franchisee for additional, refresher or remedial training?
YesItem 11
We may also require you to receive coaching or evaluation for various reasons, including if you are not meeting our requirements, if we determine additional pre-opening or post-opening assistance is needed, or if we determine that it is necessary for us to provide additional assistance to you to keep the Franchise…
Is attendance at an annual convention or conference mandatory for the franchisee?
YesFranchise agreement
A Principal Owner is required to register for and attend our conference, if and when we have them.
The filing answers no to 4 questions
- Is there a franchisee advisory council, association or committee?Item 11
- Does the franchisor charge a fee to evaluate a proposed supplier?Item 8
- Is the franchisee prohibited from operating its own website or social media accounts, or required to use pages the franchisor provides?
- Does the franchisor require minimum staffing levels or specific roles?Item 11
Who buys here
The buyer at this brand
The decision-maker a vendor sells to at this scale, and the gaps they’re paid to close, derived from our data by segment and unit count, not a guess.
The franchisor's owner/CEO decides; an ops or franchise-development lead may evaluate.
VP SalesHead of SalesCROSales Director
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The vendor opportunity at The Bar Method
The Bar Method operates a fully franchised system of 77 boutique fitness studios, with no company-owned units in the mix. For software vendors, this means every sale is a franchisee sale, but the path to those franchisees runs through a headquarters that mandates core operational technology. The system is growing at 5.48% year-over-year, adding new units that will need to be equipped with compliant software from day one. With an average unit volume of $422,969 and a 6% royalty rate, franchisees are generating meaningful revenue, making them viable buyers for productivity, scheduling, and marketing tools—provided those tools align with HQ's mandates.
The operator base is overwhelmingly single-unit owners. Of 70 mapped operators, 67 run just one studio, while only 3 operate 2 to 9 locations. This fragmentation means a vendor's sales motion will involve many individual owner-operators, but the technology decisions are shaped by a centralized standard. The top states are California (31 units), New Jersey (8), Texas (8), New York (5), and Illinois (4), giving a clear geographic prioritization for field sales or localized marketing.
Who controls software purchasing
The buying center at The Bar Method sits in the C-suite. The Franchise Disclosure Document lists Thomas Leverton as Chief Executive Officer, Robert Gunkel as Interim Chief Financial Officer, and Luis Terife as Chief Commercial Officer. For a vendor selling operational or financial software, the CEO and Interim CFO are the likely economic buyers, while the Chief Commercial Officer would be the champion for any tool that drives studio revenue or customer acquisition. The board, which includes Charles Runyon and Dave Mortensen, may also weigh in on major system-wide technology changes, though day-to-day vendor evaluation is an executive function.
Because the franchisor mandates specific technology categories, any vendor selling into this system must first convince HQ of their product's necessity—either as a replacement for the current mandated system or as a complementary tool that does not conflict with existing standards. The absence of a named CIO or CTO in the FDD suggests that technology decisions are handled by the executive team directly, making this a relatively accessible but high-stakes sale.
Mandated and current tech stack
The Bar Method's FDD mandates two technology components for all franchisees: a Studio Management System and a System Website. The specific vendors behind these systems are not disclosed in the FDD, which is common; franchisors often reserve the right to designate or change suppliers without amending the disclosure document. For a vendor with a competing studio management platform, the mandate represents both a barrier and an opportunity—displacing an incumbent requires proving a compelling ROI that justifies a system-wide switch.
The mandated System Website likely encompasses the brand's templated web presence and possibly scheduling or e-commerce functionality. Vendors selling add-on services like advanced booking, waitlist management, or integrated marketing tools should investigate whether the current website platform allows API integrations or if it is a closed ecosystem. The FDD's silence on point-of-sale hardware or payment processing suggests these may be bundled into the Studio Management System or left to franchisee discretion, creating a potential wedge for specialized vendors.
Procurement, renewals, and timing
The FDD does not include an Item 8 procurement signal in the provided extract, meaning the franchisor's policy on designated versus approved suppliers is not publicly detailed here. This lack of clarity makes direct outreach to HQ essential for any vendor seeking preferred or mandated status. The franchise agreement's renewal terms, however, offer a clear timing trigger: franchisees can renew for an additional 5-year period, but they must sign the then-current franchise agreement and remodel or upgrade their studio to meet current standards. This clause creates a natural inflection point where new technology mandates can be introduced, and existing franchisees must comply to renew.
With an initial term of 6 years and a 5-year renewal, the system has a rolling cycle of contract expirations. Combined with 5.48% unit growth, vendors can anticipate a steady cadence of new studio openings—each requiring immediate deployment of the mandated tech stack—alongside renewal-driven upgrade cycles at existing locations. The concentration of units in California suggests that any system-wide technology change would need to work well in that regulatory and market environment.
How to read the The Bar Method FDD
The 2026 Franchise Disclosure Document is the definitive source for understanding The Bar Method's technology requirements, fees, and contractual obligations. Item 11 details the franchisor's assistance and mandated systems, which is where the Studio Management System and System Website requirements are spelled out. Item 17 governs renewal and the upgrade obligations that can force technology changes. For vendors, the FDD is a roadmap: it tells you what franchisees must buy, who at HQ sets those rules, and when the contract cycles create openings for new solutions.
Review the embedded FDD below to analyze the full text of these items, and when you are ready to build a ranked target list of franchise systems that match your ideal customer profile, FranCloud can help you prioritize the right accounts.
Questions vendors ask
The Bar Method, answered from the filing
The C-suite controls purchasing. Key contacts include CEO Thomas Leverton, Interim CFO Robert Gunkel, and Chief Commercial Officer Luis Terife, who would evaluate any operational or revenue-impacting software.
The FDD mandates a Studio Management System and a System Website for all franchisees. The specific software vendors for these systems are not named in the disclosure document.
There are 77 total units, all of which are franchised. The system has no company-owned locations, with a footprint concentrated in California (31), New Jersey (8), and Texas (8).
The procurement model is not detailed in the available FDD extract. The franchisor mandates specific technology categories but does not specify whether suppliers are designated or approved in the provided data.
Initial franchise terms are 6 years, with a 5-year renewal. With 5.5% unit growth, new location openings and the renewal clause requiring potential system upgrades create recurring evaluation points for new software.
The 2026 FDD is filed with state franchise regulators. You can review the full document in the embedded PDF viewer below to analyze the specific technology mandates and contractual obligations.
Source
Read the filing itself
Every number on this page traces back to this document. Read it in full, page by page. Buy the original PDF to download, search, and annotate it.
View only A one-time purchase: the original filing, yours to keep.
FDD alert
Tell me when this brand refiles.
We’ll email you the moment The Bar Method files a new annual FDD, usually the freshest signal of a vendor change.
Operator footprint
Who runs the locations
67 operators run 70 mapped locations. 2 of them are multi-unit. Aggregate counts from the filing; no names.
Operators by units owned
Single-unit65
2–9 units2
Top states by locations
| CA | 25 |
|---|---|
| NJ | 8 |
| TX | 8 |
| NY | 5 |
| IL | 4 |
Ownership
The portfolio behind The Bar Method
strategic_multibrand of Purpose Brands.
Sibling brands
Related Fitness brands
Primary franchise filings · updated June 2026. Every figure is source-traceable and QA-checked.