October 27, 2026 // Franchising.com // FORT LAUDERDALE, FL – Yoga Joint, the fast-growing infrared fitness franchise known for its signature vinyasa yoga and high-intensity strength training, today announced a multi-unit franchise agreement with Steve Clarke, his wife Laura Mays and their daughter Danielle Clarke to bring the brand to New Jersey. The family’s first studio is scheduled to open at 305 Route 17 in Paramus in Q1 2027, with three additional locations planned across Passaic, Morris and Essex counties.
Steve and Laura discovered Yoga Joint in Fort Lauderdale after Steve retired from a business career, and Danielle started taking classes while visiting them. The Paramus studio brings the brand to Laura’s hometown and marks Yoga Joint’s entry into New Jersey.
“Steve, Laura and Danielle were Yoga Joint members before they were franchise partners, and the best franchisees are often the ones who already have a passion for the brand,” said Bernie Zarco, CEO of Yoga Joint. “They bring business expertise and deep ties to North Jersey, and alongside our expansion in New York City and Connecticut, this family will help establish Yoga Joint as a leading fitness brand across the tri-state area.”
Yoga Joint’s latest expansion is supported by strong unit economics. Studios that were open for all of 2024 posted average unit volumes of approximately $1.84 million, with mature locations exceeding $2.4 million. Each studio delivers two proprietary class formats, Flow, a 60-minute, all-levels vinyasa-based yoga class that builds strength, flexibility and balance, and FIIT, a 45-minute, low-impact workout combining cardio and strength training, both performed in infrared-heated rooms. The format is designed to reach yoga practitioners and general fitness enthusiasts, expanding the member base and supporting the recurring membership revenue that drives that performance.
That standard starts with the classes. Yoga Joint invests in top instructor talent and supports the team with year-round education, coaching and development, so every studio delivers the same experience. For a family team building four studios, that reliability is central to what makes the concept scalable.
“We fell in love with Yoga Joint as members, and the more we learned about the business, the more confident we became that it was the right brand to bring to North Jersey,” said Steve Clarke, Yoga Joint franchisee.
“North Jersey is full of active, health-focused communities, and we see room to grow across the region. Starting in Paramus, where Laura grew up, and building this together as a family makes it a truly special opportunity for us.”
Yoga Joint’s agreement with the Clarke family is part of the brand’s broader national expansion, which also includes recently announced entries into New York City, Connecticut, Georgia and Massachusetts, as well as a multi-unit agreement with CR Fitness Holdings, the largest Crunch Fitness franchisee in the country, covering parts of Florida and Dallas.
As that growth continues, Yoga Joint is actively seeking experienced multi-unit operators to scale the brand across the U.S., including in Central and Southern New Jersey, Maryland, Virginia, Washington, D.C., Texas, the Carolinas and Tennessee, among other target markets.
To learn more about franchise opportunities with Yoga Joint and schedule a discovery call, please visit https://invest.yogajoint.com.
Yoga Joint is the nation’s premier franchise of infrared fitness studios, built at the intersection of yoga and strength training. Each studio delivers two proprietary class formats, Flow, a 60-minute, all-levels vinyasa-based yoga class, and FIIT, a 45-minute, low-impact workout combining cardio and strength training, reaching yoga practitioners and fitness enthusiasts and supporting a recurring, membership-driven revenue base.
Founded in 2010 by Paige Held in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and franchising since 2022, the brand has expanded to approximately 20 locations across Florida, and is actively franchising nationally, with studios in development across Florida, Texas, New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Georgia and Massachusetts. Every Yoga Joint studio is built around the quality of its class product, elevated customer service, state-of-the-art facilities and a custom-built mobile app offering on-demand classes.
To learn more about franchise opportunities and schedule a discovery call, visit https://invest.yogajoint.com.
SOURCE Yoga Joint
Yoga Joint blends heated yoga and fitness training into an energizing wellness experience built for mind, body, and total well-being.