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From Independent Studio to Franchise: Rachael Jarosz & Giavana de Zitter’s barre3 Buffalo Story
Rachael Jarosz and Giavana de Zitter, longtime best friends and co-founders of Barre Centric, converted three independent Buffalo studios into barre3 franchises in 2024 — part of a growing wave of boutique fitness owners moving from independent ownership into an established franchise network. In 2012, the pair founded Western New York’s premier barre concept, building three thriving locations while raising six kids between them. A decade into their journey, inspired by the news that barre3 had acquired boutique fitness franchise The Barre Code, they reached a pivotal turning point: they needed a more sustainable foundation to support their clients, instructors, and personal lives for the long haul.
In September 2024, they officially signed their barre3 Franchise Agreement, setting the stage for an incredible transformation. By completing the franchise conversion process—ahead of their Grand Reopening in April 2025—Rachael and Gia gained the robust infrastructure, science-backed class programming, and nationwide support network needed to take their business into its next decade.
Now, two years after officially joining the barre3 community, we’re checking back in with them to see how their team, clients, and business have responded to the transition from Barre Centric to barre3. Below, Rachael and Gia open up about the “why” behind their decision, how barre3’s expert-backed class formats have transformed their members’ results, and the relief that comes with no longer running a multi-studio business completely alone.
B3: In 2012, you co-founded Barre Centric and built a thriving three-studio community in Buffalo. What made you decide to convert your independent studios to a barre3 franchise?
Rachael: When I stepped back and asked myself why I had started this business in the first place, it was never about the brand itself, even though I love everything we created with Barre Centric. It was about creating a place where women of all ages could get stronger, more flexible, and more confident—both physically and mentally. The brand was simply the vehicle that allowed us to do that. Once I realized that, the decision became much easier. I could look at barre3 and see that the mission and purpose were very much aligned with what we had always cared about. I especially loved the exercise science behind the barre3 method and the way the programming continues to evolve. It felt like an opportunity to take everything we had built and give our clients and our team an even stronger, more sustainable foundation to grow from.
Gia: I completely agree with everything Rach said. That was certainly my “why” as well—to help women feel their best and enjoy not only the movement, but the entire experience and community that helps them live better lives. As our businesses and families grew, my role as the main choreographer for Barre Centric became harder to maintain. I had less time to stay innovative while also providing continuing education, managing our instructor training program, and bringing on new instructors along with all of the other responsibilities associated with being a business owner—sometimes that means even fixing the toilet! Barre3 provides a strong, innovative method and continued education, which solved that challenge while allowing me to focus on our instructors, clients, team, and community.
B3: What was the barre3 franchise conversion process actually like once you made the leap?
Rachael: The transition definitely humbled us! There was a lot for our team to learn and adapt to, and we really had to trust the process. I’m so grateful for our clients who were willing to go through that transition with us and give it a chance, even when it felt different from what they had known for years. And now, so many of those same clients are absolutely loving the barre3 class and experience.
Gia: We knew it was going to be difficult in many ways to give up the brand name we had built, change software systems, have our entire team go through a new training program, and hire front desk and operational support we had never needed before—all while physically converting three studios to barre3 and continuing to offer our full schedule of classes. But the only way to get to the other side was through it, and I’m so happy we did. We now have much stronger processes, beautiful spaces, and an incredibly strong team to move us forward into the future. Our goal was always longevity for our clients, and at the end of the day, Barre Centric was becoming increasingly difficult to sustain on our own without the powerful support system that barre3 provides. Making the change to barre3 has positioned us for the future and given us the foundation to continue growing for years to come.
B3: Managing three independent locations as a duo is a massive undertaking. How has the support and infrastructure from the barre3 Support Center lightened the mental load compared to running Barre Centric on your own?
Rachael: The mental load of being a mom and running an independent business is a lot—especially when you’re trying to manage the business you need to run today while also building the business you want for the future. The barre3 Support Center has taken a huge amount of that mental load off our plates. From class programming and marketing calendars to software and operational resources, there are so many things they help with that I call the “black hole” tasks—the things that can eat up hours of your time without moving the business forward. Today, we are clicking a button to order studio props instead of spending months researching, testing, and vetting different manufacturers ourselves. Having that support means we don’t have to reinvent the wheel and can spend more time focusing on our teams, our clients, and growing the business.
Gia: The science-backed, ever-evolving research, consistent choreography, and continued education opportunities for ourselves and our team have been valuable. We’re grateful to now have a little more time to focus on other areas of the business that we didn’t have capacity for before, rather than constantly creating choreography and working to stay relevant in the fitness community. The support has allowed us to grow in new ways while continuing to provide an effective, innovative experience for our clients.
B3: What has your experience been like stepping into barre3’s network of franchise owners, and how has collaborating with them inspired your leadership?
Rachael: I really can’t say enough about the barre3 studio owner network. I’m constantly inspired by how smart, creative, and passionate they are, and I’ve learned so much from everyone. One of my favorite things is seeing how differently each studio owner approaches business ownership. Some love to teach, some are incredible mentors, some are amazing at operations or marketing—there’s no one “right” way to be a studio owner. I love learning from all of those different leadership styles and taking pieces of what resonates with me to continue growing as a leader. The willingness to share ideas, troubleshoot together, and openly crowdsource solutions has been one of the most valuable parts of joining the barre3 community.
Gia: It’s amazing that it no longer feels like Rach and I guide our team alone. We are so fortunate to have the entire barre3 community as inspiration and a place to always go for connection when facing challenges and to celebrate all the wins along the way.
B3: How have your instructors and members embraced barre3’s class formats since making the switch?
Rachael: B3 Strength has been a game changer for our community. Being able to incorporate heavier weights into our studios and continue challenging our clients to build strength in a functional, sustainable way has been incredible. We’re seeing clients get stronger in ways that translate into their everyday lives, and that has been one of the most exciting parts of the transition.
B3: Are there any favorite member milestones or stories that highlight the physical energy and results of your community since becoming barre3 studios?
Gia: One of our longtime members who has taken over 1,000 classes won the Buffalo Marathon! She credits barre3 to shaving one hour off her marathon time through our strength and mobility practice. We also constantly hear comments about how much stronger everyone has become since transitioning to barre3. Almost every week, someone says, “Remember when we thought 5 lbs were so heavy in our Barre Centric classes?” Our members are getting stronger right before our eyes, and we couldn’t be more proud of them.
B3: As co-founders, business partners, and childhood best friends, how do you divide and conquer day-to-day operations across three locations while keeping your partnership so strong?
Gia: We’ve known each other since we were about nine years old, when we began dancing competitively together. We’ve spent years moving and working together through so many different experiences—from performing arts and cheerleading to school musicals, friendship, and now running a business together for nearly 15 years. Having that deep history and connection has been so valuable. We understand each other on a level that goes beyond simply being business partners, and our shared history has helped us navigate the challenges and celebrate the successes together.
Rachael: We have complementary skill sets, which has been a huge advantage. Gia owns the product side of the business—from instructor training and development to programming, scheduling, and retail—while I tend to focus more on the business side, including marketing, operations, finance, and accounting. That said, we’re both involved in all of the moving pieces, so we always have a good understanding of what’s happening across the business and can jump in and support each other when needed. And sometimes, supporting each other looks a lot less like business strategy and a lot more like babysitting each other’s kids! That’s just the reality of being business partners, friends, and moms.
B3: Barre3 is known for disrupting traditional fitness culture. What does it mean to you to model that body-positive philosophy for your daughters?
Gia: Raising our girls in the barre3 world means they’re learning early that fitness isn’t about being smaller—it’s about being stronger, kinder to yourself, and confident in your own body. They get to watch women move their bodies because they love them, not because they hate them—and they’re growing up hearing words like strength, confidence, grace, and self-respect instead of guilt and shame. In a fitness world that still pushes so much toxic messaging around bodies, that feels really special.
B3: Giving back is a core part of your mission in Buffalo. How has joining a national franchise network amplified your local community impact?
Rachael: We’ve always been very active in our community—donating classes to fundraisers, speaking at wellness events, and hosting events to raise awareness for important causes. With more time and improved processes, we’ve been able to create even more opportunities for special events, member appreciation, and donation classes. Barre3’s instructor training program has also allowed us to grow our team more quickly, giving us greater capacity to serve and give back to our community. We’re especially grateful that barre3 allows us to speak to the connection between movement and mental health on a deeper level than ever before. Being able to support our community both physically and mentally is something we’re proud of.
B3: What advice do you have for independent boutique studio owners considering a franchise conversion?
Rachael: I would say try to think more long-term. When you’re an independent owner, it’s easy to get caught up in just getting through the day and doing all the things that need to get done. But it’s worth stepping back and asking yourself: What do I want this business to look like five or ten years from now, and what would make that possible? For us, converting wasn’t about giving up something we loved—it was about finding a way to make the business more sustainable for the future, while still staying true to why we started it in the first place.
B3: What’s next for the future of barre3 Buffalo?
Gia: Looking ahead, we’re excited to keep growing our team, creating meaningful experiences and events, giving back to our community, and continuing to make barre3 Buffalo a place where people feel strong, supported, and connected. We feel like we’ve built a really strong foundation for the future, and we’re excited for what’s next—not only for barre3 Buffalo, but for the barre3 brand as a whole!
Rachael and Gia’s story is one of many across the barre3 network. Read more Studio Owner Stories to see how other independent studio owners made the switch to barre3.
Ready to start your own studio ownership journey? Explore the barre3 franchise opportunity and see how you can join our network of 200+ studios worldwide.
Already own an independent boutique fitness studio? Learn how the barre3 franchise conversion program can give your business the infrastructure and support to grow into its next chapter — start the conversation with our franchise development team.
Photo credit: @lauren_ashley_photo
Rachael Jarosz and Giavana de Zitter, longtime best friends and co-founders of Barre Centric, converted three independent Buffalo studios into barre3 franchises in 2024 — part of a growing wave of boutique fitness owners moving from independent ownership into an established franchise network. In 2012, the pair founded Western New York’s premier barre concept, building three thriving locations while raising six kids between them. A decade into their journey, inspired by the news that barre3 had acquired boutique fitness franchise The Barre Code, they reached a pivotal turning point: they needed a more sustainable foundation to support their clients, instructors, and personal lives for the long haul.
In September 2024, they officially signed their barre3 Franchise Agreement, setting the stage for an incredible transformation. By completing the franchise conversion process—ahead of their Grand Reopening in April 2025—Rachael and Gia gained the robust infrastructure, science-backed class programming, and nationwide support network needed to take their business into its next decade.
Now, two years after officially joining the barre3 community, we’re checking back in with them to see how their team, clients, and business have responded to the transition from Barre Centric to barre3. Below, Rachael and Gia open up about the “why” behind their decision, how barre3’s expert-backed class formats have transformed their members’ results, and the relief that comes with no longer running a multi-studio business completely alone.
B3: In 2012, you co-founded Barre Centric and built a thriving three-studio community in Buffalo. What made you decide to convert your independent studios to a barre3 franchise?
Rachael: When I stepped back and asked myself why I had started this business in the first place, it was never about the brand itself, even though I love everything we created with Barre Centric. It was about creating a place where women of all ages could get stronger, more flexible, and more confident—both physically and mentally. The brand was simply the vehicle that allowed us to do that. Once I realized that, the decision became much easier. I could look at barre3 and see that the mission and purpose were very much aligned with what we had always cared about. I especially loved the exercise science behind the barre3 method and the way the programming continues to evolve. It felt like an opportunity to take everything we had built and give our clients and our team an even stronger, more sustainable foundation to grow from.
Gia: I completely agree with everything Rach said. That was certainly my “why” as well—to help women feel their best and enjoy not only the movement, but the entire experience and community that helps them live better lives. As our businesses and families grew, my role as the main choreographer for Barre Centric became harder to maintain. I had less time to stay innovative while also providing continuing education, managing our instructor training program, and bringing on new instructors along with all of the other responsibilities associated with being a business owner—sometimes that means even fixing the toilet! Barre3 provides a strong, innovative method and continued education, which solved that challenge while allowing me to focus on our instructors, clients, team, and community.
B3: What was the barre3 franchise conversion process actually like once you made the leap?
Rachael: The transition definitely humbled us! There was a lot for our team to learn and adapt to, and we really had to trust the process. I’m so grateful for our clients who were willing to go through that transition with us and give it a chance, even when it felt different from what they had known for years. And now, so many of those same clients are absolutely loving the barre3 class and experience.
Gia: We knew it was going to be difficult in many ways to give up the brand name we had built, change software systems, have our entire team go through a new training program, and hire front desk and operational support we had never needed before—all while physically converting three studios to barre3 and continuing to offer our full schedule of classes. But the only way to get to the other side was through it, and I’m so happy we did. We now have much stronger processes, beautiful spaces, and an incredibly strong team to move us forward into the future. Our goal was always longevity for our clients, and at the end of the day, Barre Centric was becoming increasingly difficult to sustain on our own without the powerful support system that barre3 provides. Making the change to barre3 has positioned us for the future and given us the foundation to continue growing for years to come.
B3: Managing three independent locations as a duo is a massive undertaking. How has the support and infrastructure from the barre3 Support Center lightened the mental load compared to running Barre Centric on your own?
Rachael: The mental load of being a mom and running an independent business is a lot—especially when you’re trying to manage the business you need to run today while also building the business you want for the future. The barre3 Support Center has taken a huge amount of that mental load off our plates. From class programming and marketing calendars to software and operational resources, there are so many things they help with that I call the “black hole” tasks—the things that can eat up hours of your time without moving the business forward. Today, we are clicking a button to order studio props instead of spending months researching, testing, and vetting different manufacturers ourselves. Having that support means we don’t have to reinvent the wheel and can spend more time focusing on our teams, our clients, and growing the business.
Gia: The science-backed, ever-evolving research, consistent choreography, and continued education opportunities for ourselves and our team have been valuable. We’re grateful to now have a little more time to focus on other areas of the business that we didn’t have capacity for before, rather than constantly creating choreography and working to stay relevant in the fitness community. The support has allowed us to grow in new ways while continuing to provide an effective, innovative experience for our clients.
B3: What has your experience been like stepping into barre3’s network of franchise owners, and how has collaborating with them inspired your leadership?
Rachael: I really can’t say enough about the barre3 studio owner network. I’m constantly inspired by how smart, creative, and passionate they are, and I’ve learned so much from everyone. One of my favorite things is seeing how differently each studio owner approaches business ownership. Some love to teach, some are incredible mentors, some are amazing at operations or marketing—there’s no one “right” way to be a studio owner. I love learning from all of those different leadership styles and taking pieces of what resonates with me to continue growing as a leader. The willingness to share ideas, troubleshoot together, and openly crowdsource solutions has been one of the most valuable parts of joining the barre3 community.
Gia: It’s amazing that it no longer feels like Rach and I guide our team alone. We are so fortunate to have the entire barre3 community as inspiration and a place to always go for connection when facing challenges and to celebrate all the wins along the way.
B3: How have your instructors and members embraced barre3’s class formats since making the switch?
Rachael: B3 Strength has been a game changer for our community. Being able to incorporate heavier weights into our studios and continue challenging our clients to build strength in a functional, sustainable way has been incredible. We’re seeing clients get stronger in ways that translate into their everyday lives, and that has been one of the most exciting parts of the transition.
B3: Are there any favorite member milestones or stories that highlight the physical energy and results of your community since becoming barre3 studios?
Gia: One of our longtime members who has taken over 1,000 classes won the Buffalo Marathon! She credits barre3 to shaving one hour off her marathon time through our strength and mobility practice. We also constantly hear comments about how much stronger everyone has become since transitioning to barre3. Almost every week, someone says, “Remember when we thought 5 lbs were so heavy in our Barre Centric classes?” Our members are getting stronger right before our eyes, and we couldn’t be more proud of them.
B3: As co-founders, business partners, and childhood best friends, how do you divide and conquer day-to-day operations across three locations while keeping your partnership so strong?
Gia: We’ve known each other since we were about nine years old, when we began dancing competitively together. We’ve spent years moving and working together through so many different experiences—from performing arts and cheerleading to school musicals, friendship, and now running a business together for nearly 15 years. Having that deep history and connection has been so valuable. We understand each other on a level that goes beyond simply being business partners, and our shared history has helped us navigate the challenges and celebrate the successes together.
Rachael: We have complementary skill sets, which has been a huge advantage. Gia owns the product side of the business—from instructor training and development to programming, scheduling, and retail—while I tend to focus more on the business side, including marketing, operations, finance, and accounting. That said, we’re both involved in all of the moving pieces, so we always have a good understanding of what’s happening across the business and can jump in and support each other when needed. And sometimes, supporting each other looks a lot less like business strategy and a lot more like babysitting each other’s kids! That’s just the reality of being business partners, friends, and moms.
B3: Barre3 is known for disrupting traditional fitness culture. What does it mean to you to model that body-positive philosophy for your daughters?
Gia: Raising our girls in the barre3 world means they’re learning early that fitness isn’t about being smaller—it’s about being stronger, kinder to yourself, and confident in your own body. They get to watch women move their bodies because they love them, not because they hate them—and they’re growing up hearing words like strength, confidence, grace, and self-respect instead of guilt and shame. In a fitness world that still pushes so much toxic messaging around bodies, that feels really special.
B3: Giving back is a core part of your mission in Buffalo. How has joining a national franchise network amplified your local community impact?
Rachael: We’ve always been very active in our community—donating classes to fundraisers, speaking at wellness events, and hosting events to raise awareness for important causes. With more time and improved processes, we’ve been able to create even more opportunities for special events, member appreciation, and donation classes. Barre3’s instructor training program has also allowed us to grow our team more quickly, giving us greater capacity to serve and give back to our community. We’re especially grateful that barre3 allows us to speak to the connection between movement and mental health on a deeper level than ever before. Being able to support our community both physically and mentally is something we’re proud of.
B3: What advice do you have for independent boutique studio owners considering a franchise conversion?
Rachael: I would say try to think more long-term. When you’re an independent owner, it’s easy to get caught up in just getting through the day and doing all the things that need to get done. But it’s worth stepping back and asking yourself: What do I want this business to look like five or ten years from now, and what would make that possible? For us, converting wasn’t about giving up something we loved—it was about finding a way to make the business more sustainable for the future, while still staying true to why we started it in the first place.
B3: What’s next for the future of barre3 Buffalo?
Gia: Looking ahead, we’re excited to keep growing our team, creating meaningful experiences and events, giving back to our community, and continuing to make barre3 Buffalo a place where people feel strong, supported, and connected. We feel like we’ve built a really strong foundation for the future, and we’re excited for what’s next—not only for barre3 Buffalo, but for the barre3 brand as a whole!
Rachael and Gia’s story is one of many across the barre3 network. Read more Studio Owner Stories to see how other independent studio owners made the switch to barre3.
Ready to start your own studio ownership journey? Explore the barre3 franchise opportunity and see how you can join our network of 200+ studios worldwide.
Already own an independent boutique fitness studio? Learn how the barre3 franchise conversion program can give your business the infrastructure and support to grow into its next chapter — start the conversation with our franchise development team.
Photo credit: @lauren_ashley_photo
