[CLOSURE ALERT] Boutique Fitness Facility BURN Studios Ending Operations

The flame is going out for one Atlanta fitness business.  BURN Studios, a cycle, yoga, and kickboxing fitness facility announced Friday that they will close their Buckhead location in Chastain Park, their final studio still in operation, in April. BURN started in Brookhaven in October 2015 before opening in Buckhead in January 2018 and in the Plaza on Ponce in September 2019. 

Jeremy Levison, a former Flywheel instructor, partnered with serial entrepreneur Alex Royter to open the first BURN in Brookleigh Marketplace in Brookhaven in October 2015.  The Brookhaven and Ponce studios quietly closed over the past couple of years.  (Royter continues to operate Buff City Soap locations in Chastain Park, Chamblee, and at Halcyon in Alpharetta, among other endeavors.)  

"Transparency has always been the motto at BURN and with that, BURN will close its doors permanently on April 13.  Decisions like this do not come easy, but in the end this is a business and BURN needs to make the best business decision."  

Despite the use of the word "transparency," no actual reason for the closure was provided, but perhaps the business was "burning" too much cash.  Also, pretty sure "transparency" is not a motto and that the studio's motto was actually #LiveToBurn.   

The company will be selling all bikes, bags, shoes, etc. to interested members on a first come, first serve basis.  

According to the company's Facebook page, BURN was promoting membership sales as recently as February 27 and was seeking to hire more instructors as recently as February 29. 

While no closure should ever be cheered, we're pretty sure the employees at HomeGoods - where BURN activities could often be heard through their shared wall - won't be losing sleep over BURN's departure.  

BURN follows the 2022 closure of HITT ( High Intensity Interval Training) facility Blast.  Originally opened in late 2008 in Buckhead, Blast opened a Midtown location in the street level retail of SkyHouse South in early 2014 before relocating its Buckhead studio to Chastain Park in late 2015.  Both locations closed in September 2022.  

Levison's former employer Flywheel no longer exists following a string of closures in 2019 and then a Chapter 7 bankruptcy and liquidation in 2020.  At its peak, the New York-based company had Atlanta area studios in Buckhead (reportedly the busiest in the company), Midtown, and Alpharetta.  

The roughly 4,700 square foot space that BURN Studios occupies in Powers Ferry Square is not yet marked as "available" or "coming available" on the site plan for the Regency Centers-owned center but soon surely will.  

Are you surprised to see BURN Studios close?   Where do you go for your indoor gym needs?  Do you prefer small class "boutique fitness" options or larger options like Planet Fitness and LA Fitness?

Please share your thoughts below.