Washington D.C.-based boutique fitness chain Solidcore is preparing to open its first Milwaukee-area location, in the city’s Historic Third Ward.
The pilates-based workout studio is slated to open to the public on Jan. 9 inside the Dye House commercial building, located at 320 E. Buffalo St., on the first level. It’s the company’s second studio in Wisconsin — the first opened in Madison in 2018.
Solidcore’s website lists about 70 studios in 20 states. The company said its step into the Milwaukee market is part of larger efforts to grow its national footprint to 100 locations.
“We are so excited to expand our footprint in Wisconsin and bring Solidcore to the people of Milwaukee,” said Bryan Myers, president and chief operating officer. “This city has been on our list for quite some time, and we can’t wait for everyone to see what the talk is all about.”
Solidcore had originally targeted a summer 2020 opening for the Third Ward studio, but that was before the COVID-19 pandemic took hold. With 2,092 square feet, the space includes 14 patented resistance machines, which anchor Solidcore’s 50-minute full-body workout.
In accordance with local COVID-19 restrictions and the company’s own protocols, seven machines will be available for booking at each class and face masks are required for both instructors and participants until further notice. Solidcore has implemented several health and safety measures, including temperature checks and increased sanitization at its studios that have reopened since the start of the pandemic. It also offers virtual classes that participants can do at home.
Ahead of its Jan. 9 opening, Solidcore will hold a week of free preview classes beginning Jan. 4. Classes are now available to book through the studio’s website and Solidcore mobile app. Pricing currently ranges from $14 to $19 per class, depending on the number of classes in the package. A monthly membership with unlimited classes is $149, according to the website.
Class-based, or studio fitness has been on the rise throughout the Milwaukee area in recent years. Solidcore joins several other boutique fitness concepts in the Third Ward neighborhood, including Orangetheory Fitness and Club Pilates, which both opened within the past couple of years just north on Milwaukee Street. Other studios include SPIRE Fitness, Barre Code, Vita Physical Therapy & Fitness and Push Power.
