YOUNGSTOWN — Mega Barre Youngstown, founded in 2013, was joined by Mega Barre Solon in 2022. The new fitness studio offers most of the classes offered at the Youngstown location.
The acquisition of the space in Solon came about because of the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the fitness industry, says Laura Zavadil, owner of Mega Barre Solon and co-owner of Mega Barre Youngstown. The location was formerly a franchised barre fitness studio that closed during the pandemic.
Mega Barre has permanently implemented live Zoom classes, which allows members to work out from home. And the studio continues to add to its on-demand library of prerecorded workouts.
The studio employs more than 30 independent contractors in both Youngstown and Solon, Zavadil says. It plans to add more instructors in 2023 and more classes, expand its nutrition coaching offerings and take clients on a fitness retreat to Arizona.
Among the organizations the studio helped support in 2022 are the United Way of Youngstown and the Mahoning Valley, the American Heart Association, Project MKC and Second Harvest Food Bank of the Mahoning Valley.