Calgary's first-ever Barry's Bootcamp location opening on Saturday
Calgary is on the eve of opening a brand-new workout studio.
Well, brand-new to the city, that is, seeing as Barry’s Bootcamp has actually been thriving in the boutique workout studio scene since 1998 — and was, in fact, the pioneer of the now-wildly popular lights-off-music-up style of workouts.
Barry’s Bootcamp founder, Barry Jay, “opened up a studio in a landscape where only giant, big-box gyms existed,” said Barry’s CEO Joey Gonzalez in an interview with Daily Hive.
“He was really brave to take that on.”
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Barry’s Bootcamp (Chandler Walter/Daily Hive)
Barry’s has been built into the building at 2306 4th St SW, right beside (and attached to) the new lululemon that opened earlier this month after making the short move from its longstanding location at 17th Avenue and 4th Street SW.
The union marks a first for the two companies, a pairing that both Gonzalez and lululemon’s Area Director for Canada Lindsay White-O’Neil said made sense given how alike the businesses’ values are.
“Everything we do is highly focused on building and fostering community and connecting people through relationships, which is why lululemon is such a great partner for us, because they view things very much the same,” Gonzales said.
Barry’s Bootcamp (Chandler Walter/Daily Hive)
The addition of Barry’s beside the new lululemon location brings a fuel bar that is accessible from lululemon itself through an open wall — something White-O’Neil said in an interview will be a way to bring the fitness fans of Calgary together.
“I wanted to bring something that would really elevate the community and actually reflect how important Calgary is,” she said.
“I believe that having [Barry’s] fuel bar as a place to convene as a community would be really great, a benefit to the relationships we have already, and just elevate the entire experience of the community.”
Looking at the two stores from the street, it’s hard to imagine how a full 4,800-sq-ft retail store — a 2,000-sq-ft upgrade from the earlier 2,800 sq ft — AND a workout studio could fit into the same building.
Walking in through Barry’s soon-to-be-open front doors, though, you’ll see a neon sign pointing you down a flight of stairs, taking you into the custom-built basement level. That’s where you’ll find Barry’s famous Red Room studio, the change rooms, and Barry’s Bootcamp-specific apparel.
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Originally built in 1912, the building’s basement was in sorry shape before White-O’Neal, Gonzalez, and Jim Mitchell, the president of Calgary developer Certus Developments, turned their vision into reality, digging out an additional 20 or so feet to create the modern gym as it exists today.
“I love the idea of this being an experience where you just keep discovering,” Gonzalez said of walking down into the studio area. “It felt almost like a speakeasy; if you know, you know.”
Gonzalez will be leading a handful of classes on opening day, and booking is now available on their website for morning classes starting at 8:30 am.
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