A hot yoga studio in Calgary is in some hot water with former clients following a sudden and unexpected closure.
Patricia Hagel was shocked after she arrived at Hot Yoga on Crowfoot on March 3, only to find out it had permanently shut down.
“It closed on a Friday. I showed up on Monday for a class and the parking lot was empty,” she said. “I thought that was weird.”
Hagel said it was especially bizarre since she had just purchased a new membership about a week before.
“I bought a new, unlimited annual pass on Feb. 25 and then the doors closed on March 3.”
Hagel added she only found out about the closure thanks to a sign on the door posted by the legal firm representing the building’s landlord, not the owners of Hot Yoga on Crowfoot.
“I got no warning whatsoever. No email was sent out. No phone call,” she said.
The owners did post — via their social media accounts — that the closure was “shocking” and “very sudden.”
They also told clients that they had experienced three tough years during COVID, and “the landlord had made large and sudden financial demands that we cannot fulfill despite having years remaining on the lease.”
However, lawyers representing the building’s landlord posted a notice on the business’ doors, stating the lease was being terminated and that the termination was, “further to the notice of default issued by the landlord on Feb. 14, 2023.”
Another studio client, Ken Potter, told Global News the explanation from the Crowfoot’s owners and the timeline does not add up.
“They were given the notice on Feb. 14 and they did not close until March 3, so they were actively accepting money knowing they were in default.”
Global News asked the studio’s owners about the concerns.
Paul Barry responded with an email stating, “We are shocked and saddened after having worked so hard over the last 13 years to build a such an incredible community at Hot Yoga on Crowfoot.”
Barry added that they had been “assured repeatedly and by more than one landlord representative that the landlord was understanding of the challenges COVID-19 had created for our business and other fitness studios over the last few years.”
He said the sudden demand from the landlord for a lot of money was not something they could pay and that is when the landlord switched out the locks.
The now-closed studio’s owners have told clients they can use their passes at their other location, Hot Yoga on 17th.
Hagel and Potter, who live two minutes away from the Crowfoot location, have told Global News that is not an option.
“This is not the pass I bought. The pass was for this location,” Hagel pointed out. “It’s almost half an hour away from where we live.”
“The bottom line is we paid for a service and they are not providing it and they’re not giving refunds,” Potter agreed.
Potter said Barry has told him he can contact his credit card company.