Own an ONYX — ONYX Pilates

01 · The category

We built the room.Then the machine.

Heated Reformer Pilates started here.

Reformer Pilates went from 17% of studios to 45% in 4 years. Heat is chasing it. Most brands picked one lane.

We built the intersection, then engineered for it. Our reformer is proprietary and slip-resistant, and built to hold in a 90°F room. Unique to our franchise and sold nowhere else.

Our stadium format elevates the member experience. Every member visible. Every sightline earned.

The room · 90°F

02 · The model

The model.

M—01

Heat and reformer in one room. Nobody else runs it.

M—02

Recurring monthly revenue. Most members sign for 6 or 12.

M—03

Urban markets only. Few studios per city.

M—04

Our reformer does the full range in a smaller footprint. More machines per lease. More seats per class.

M—05

One room. One format. Small team. Low overhead.

M—06

Central services handles the repetitive work.

M—07

Training that does not stop at opening.

03 · The founders

We built this becausethe room was wrong.

Reformers make you turn away from your coach. Pilates is precision work. Turning away costs you form, safety, and results. So Jonathan built a reformer you face forward on. Then he met Liz and Christian. Liz danced her whole life and found Pilates at 14. Christian played in the NFL and used Pilates to stay in it. Together we opened ONYX in a former heated yoga studio. One day, Christian got curious and turned up the heat in the room. Heated reformer started there, by accident, from a design decision we made for a different reason. We are Black and gay founders. We built a room where people who never felt welcome in fitness walk in and stay. That is not marketing. It is the reason the business works.

Founder-led. Founder-funded.Founder-built.

— Liz, Christian & Jonathan

04 · The partner

We are selectiveon purpose.

Community does not scale from an office. Someone has to know the names.

That someone is you. Hands-on in the studio, day to day.
Start with one studio. More can follow as you are ready.
Urban markets. Dense and walkable.

$150,000

Liquid capital

$500,000

Net worth

$285,691–$624,043

Total investment · FDD Item 7

This is hands-on ownership, not passive income.

05 · The support

How we help.

Real estate

Site criteria, market review, and approval before you sign anything.

Build-out

Layout, design specs, and equipment.

Training

Hands-on training and development for you and your team, every step of the way.

Playbooks

Founder-developed. Tested in our own studios before they reach yours.

Launch

Pre-sale, grand opening, and marketing built before the doors open.

Central services

The repetitive work comes off your desk.

Ongoing

Coaching and updated playbooks as the system grows.

Access

Direct access to our founders and support teams.

The big systems give you a call center. We give you 3 founders and your number in our phones.

06 · The path

How it goes.

01
Tell us about you
A short form. We read every one.
02
Talk to a founder
Not a sales rep. One of us.
03
Review the FDD
You get 14 days with it. Take them.
04
Come to Chicago
See the room. Meet the team. Take a class.
05
Sign and build
We are with you through every step.

07 · The markets

Where we go.

Dense. Walkable. Coffee shop to studio in 5 minutes.

We place few studios per city. That is deliberate.

Open

Chicago

River North · Wicker Park

Now awarding

Atlanta
Boston
Washington DC
Detroit
Minneapolis
Nashville
Charlotte
Austin
Dallas
Houston
Denver
Salt Lake City
Seattle
Tampa

Don't see your city? Tell us why we should be there.

08 · The proof

ONYX in the news.

ABC7 Chicago

Onyx Pilates turns up the heat on 'Inclusive Fitness' in Chicago

June 2025

FOX 32 Chicago

Chicago studio offers unique, sizzling Pilates-inspired classes

June 2025

WGN Chicago

Kicking off National Wellness Month with ONYX

Spotlight Chicago

09 · The questions

Straight answers.

What does it cost to open?

$285,691 to $624,043. The range depends on your space and your build. Item 7 of the FDD has the line items.

What do I need financially?

$150,000 liquid. $500,000 net worth.

Do you offer financing?

No. We can point you to lenders who know franchise deals.

How much can I make?

Item 19 of the FDD covers financial performance. Request it and read it with your accountant.

Can I own more than one?

Start with one. Once it is running well, we will talk about the next. That pace is what protects the system, and your first studio with it.

Can I hire a manager and stay out of it?

ONYX is an owner-operator model. In your first year you are in the studio, building the community yourself. A manager can come later, with our approval. Community does not scale from an office.

Do I need Pilates experience?

No. You need to have a passion for building community and be willing to be in the room.

How long until I open?

Roughly 9 months from signing. Real estate and permits set the pace.

Where are you awarding?

Dense, walkable urban markets. Few studios per city. Ask about yours.

Do I get an exclusive territory?

You get a defined territory. Not an exclusive one. We place few studios per city because density protects your business, not because a contract says so. Item 12 has the specifics.

What makes you different from Club Pilates or JETSET?

They sell you a system. We partner on a studio. They award hundreds a year. We will award a handful. Heat and reformer in one room is ours.

Why should I bet on a brand with 2 studios?

Because you get founders on the phone instead of a call center, and a market nobody has crowded yet. If you want 1,400 locations of proof, buy one of those.

What if my market is not on the list?

Tell us anyway. We are choosing markets now.

We built ours.Build yours.

Think you are one of us? Tell us about you. A founder reads every one.

Start here.

A founder reads every one

This information is not intended as an offer to sell, or the solicitation of an offer to buy, a franchise. It is for information purposes only. An offer is made only by a Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD) in those jurisdictions that require it. Full disclosure below.

This information is not intended as an offer to sell, or the solicitation of an offer to buy, a franchise. It is for information purposes only. An offer is made only by a Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD) in those jurisdictions that require it. Currently, the following states regulate the offer and sale of franchises: California, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin. If you are a resident of or want to locate a franchise in one of these states, we will not offer you a franchise unless and until we have complied with applicable pre-sale registration and disclosure requirements in your jurisdiction. The information contained in this website is not inconsistent with our FDD. This advertisement is not an offering. An offering can only be made by a prospectus filed first with the appropriate state regulatory agencies. Such filing does not constitute approval by those states.