Classical Pilates Enters the Franchise Era
Reneé Ricca is taking her lineage-led method beyond the boutique studio, pairing traditional Pilates principles with a modern franchise model.
As Pilates franchises continue to expand, much of the sector’s growth has been built around streamlined group classes and repeatable programming. Reneé Ricca is proposing a different model: taking classical, full-apparatus Pilates into the franchise market.
After more than 26 years operating her South Florida studio, the second-generation teacher is launching Reneé Ricca Pilates™, with an initial goal of opening 10 franchise locations.
Ricca trained under Carola Trier, one of Joseph Pilates’ earliest students, and says preserving that teaching lineage will sit at the heart of the new model.
“The Pilates industry has gotten away from the source,” Ricca says. “Our approach is old-world teaching. We’re hands-on.”
Training at the centre of the model
Ricca believes the limited availability of comprehensively trained instructors is one of the greatest challenges facing the growing franchise sector.
Her franchise support system will therefore include Reneé Ricca’s Classical Comprehensive Teacher Training, comprising a 450-hour program and an eight-week bridge program. Continuing education workshops will also be offered throughout franchise territories and to independent boutique studios.
The curriculum places particular emphasis on areas Ricca believes are often missing from contemporary teacher training, including tactile communication, cueing techniques, program design, modifications, transitions and the progression of clients through basic, intermediate and advanced levels.
“Our training is the biggest differentiator,” she says. “Certified talent is completely bottlenecked, and comprehensive teacher training is the solution.”
Classical foundations, broader programming
Although the concept is grounded in classical Pilates, Ricca describes the programming as “Contemporary Meets the Classics.”
Studios will offer Mat, Reformer, Cadillac or Tower, Wunda Chair and Clara’s Spine Corrector work, alongside stretching classes, rehabilitation-focused Pilates and Cardio BODHI four-point suspension training.
Another defining element will be a 35-minute individual evaluation at the beginning of each client’s journey. The assessment considers posture, alignment, body mechanics, injuries, operations and contraindications, helping instructors place clients at an appropriate level and adapt their programming.
The model is intended to serve a broad audience, from Gen Z clients and athletes through to older adults and people managing conditions affecting the spine, hips, knees and shoulders.
Why classical - and why now?
Ricca welcomes the renewed interest in classical Pilates, viewing it as a return to the depth and intention of the original method rather than a rejection of contemporary practice.
“It’s about returning to the source and the deep-rooted principles of Joseph Pilates,” she says. “Progression through the exercises is a key factor for both classical and contemporary work as we bring it into the 21st century.”
For Ricca, preserving the method does not mean repeating an identical class. She credits much of her studio’s longevity to continually changing the design and choreography of sessions while maintaining the principles beneath them.
“I have never taught the same class at any level,” she says. “It’s the same work, but the program design has always been different - and that has kept clients motivated.”
As franchise Pilates continues to grow, Reneé Ricca Pilates™ presents a notable proposition: that classical lineage, comprehensive education and individualized teaching can be translated into a scalable business.
Or, as Ricca puts it: “Everything old is always new again.”
—————————-
Reneé Ricca Pilates™ is a boutique wellness franchise founded by second-generation Pilates teacher Reneé Ricca, a passionate, authentic artist and intuitive educator.
Built on more than 26 years of studio operating experience, this new evolution in Pilates is presenting a rare franchise opportunity - Contrology at its best. Rooted in the original teachings of Joseph Pilates while thoughtfully evolving for today's wellness consumer, the franchise model blends archival 20th-century Pilates repertoires with 21st-century innovation to serve clients of all generations. Reneé Ricca Pilates™ is currently seeking qualified franchise operators to expand the concept throughout the United States. Learn more at www.riccapilatesfranchise.com.