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Joule retail puzzle near complete with CorePower Yoga, Menchie’s Frozen Yogurt

The thousands of feet of retail space at north Broadway’s Joule building is nearly full, and if realtors have their way, the final three commercial spaces will be locked up by summer — including the largest piece of the puzzle.


Denver-based yoga outfit, CorePower Yoga is lined up the large two-level space at the corner of Broadway and Republican. CPY marketing director Holly Georgelos tells CHS the company is still working through the permitting process, but hopes to open  by this fall.

“We’ve looked at Seattle for a long time … we think it will be a great market for us.”

CPY teaches and certifies teachers in its own brand of yoga called, you guessed it, CorePower Yoga. Due to the size required for the studios, Georgelos said a big part of moving into a new market is finding sufficient space. Most of CPY’s studios feature three yoga rooms, with men’s and women’s locker rooms and showers.

“We have more of a health club feel,” she said. “We want to make yoga accessible. We want to demystify the practice. We keep it light-hearted and fun … not a guru, dogma mentality.”

Eat Local, Menchie’s, more
In June 2010, CHS looked at the slow start for filling Joule’s retail spaces. Two years later, the process to have at least activated each of the twelve retail bays in the mixed-use building that replaced a QFC is finally nearing completion. Another Joule puzzle piece will be moving into place soon. CHS introduced you to pre-made meal market Eat Local in January. Eat Local’s Greg Conner said his second Seattle retail location is nearly ready to open and is on track for a mid-June debut.

CHS has also found records on file with the city for a Menchie’s Frozen Yogurt joining the Joule. Like Yogurtland which opened on Broadway near Pike/Pine in spring 2011, Menchie’s is a pay-by-the-ounce operation. “Mix up as many flavors and toppings as your little heart desires,” the marketing copy reads. “At Menchie’s, you pay by weight not by topping so you can have as much or as little of everything you want.” Menchie’s franchise locations exist in 44 of the 50 states in the union, Canada and, now, Japan.

As for the former Saizen Sushi space, Brynne Estelle Telkamp of Real Retail said a new tenant is almost secured, but wouldn’t name names.

Saizen shuttered last month after less than a year in business for the first-time restauranteurs who said north Broadway along with a slow winter did them in.

“We will be moving forward with one of several interested parties,” Estelle Telkamp said.

From Joule marketing materials

For CorePower, Georgelos said the company’s decision to come to Capitol Hill was based on a site selection process that relies heavily on matching the demographics of their existing membership: young, educated, professional, urban, single or newly married. She said males account for about 30% of students, slightly higher than average studios.

In order to cater to those demographics, Georgelos said most CPY studios offer weekday classes every hour from 5-9p. Prices begin with a $124/month membership fee base. You can learn more at corepoweryoga.com.

Inside CPY Chicago (Image: CorePower Yoga)

In addition to the Capitol Hill studio, a Ballard studio is also slated to open this year. The two Seattle branches are CPY’s first in Washington state. They already have two locations in Portland. And there could be more to come. Georgelos said the company prefers to expand within their markets, allowing students to attend any branch within their city or across the country. Denver alone has 14 branches. CPY also plans to open their first Austin and Washington D.C. branches this year.

Nearly all CPY studios are corporate owned, with a studio manager and assistant manager at each branch. Geogelos said she didn’t know how many instructors would work out of the Broadway branch. It’s clear, however, the studio would support a handful new jobs on the Hill. There are about 900 CPY trained instructors nationwide working in 61 studios.

CPY enters on the heels of one-year-old Lab5 Fitness one block across the street — not exclusively a yoga studio, but still potential competition.

After the Saizen and CorePower Yoga spaces are claimed, there will be just one more vacancy in the building: the 2,175-square-foot t-shaped space between GNC and Blue Moon Burgers. Telkamp said there are several businesses interested in the space and there would be more details to announce in the coming weeks.

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umvue
11 years ago

Thanks for the updates. Love or hate Joule, the building and tenants are a vast improvement over the derelict buildings they replaced. It and Brix revitalized the north end of Broadway. Buildings to the north and south (except for the questionable Broadway Market and the burned out Gallerias) are fully occupied. That hadn’t been the case in years. Don’t know if the developer was from the eastside, the midwest, or Mars, but it’s working.

PT
PT
11 years ago

Can we start calling this part of the neighborhood NoBro now?

Seriously, I am pleased with the development. I live in this area. I have friends living in the Joule and they really enjoy the advantage of living in an active part of the street.

Iknowsnow
Iknowsnow
11 years ago

Oh great – a collection of crappy anonymous chain retail that could be from a mall in Anyplace, USA. Go Cap Hill!

andrewgd
11 years ago

“NoBro”

That’s funny because Joule has raised the “Bro” percentage on broadway up significantly.

a.
a.
11 years ago

Oh wait – it doesn’t. I’ll stick with Yogurtland and my current yoga studio.

Frank
11 years ago

I second that! Ignore the haters below, clean, non-sketchy retail even if its chain retail is better than nothing. Unless you like having burned out abandoned apartment complexes that smell of pee and god knows what went goes on there.
Part of a successful neighborhood is to actually cater to a wide variety of people, not just the independent hipster clientele but also to the young rich of Seattle, and families.

Molly
11 years ago

Then I’d say its a good thing these places are going in, no? You can continue to enjoy Yogurtland and your current yoga studio and not worry about either becoming overcrowded with all the people that will be moving into all the new ugly buildings.

Spencer
Spencer
11 years ago

Wow! Just what we need another place to do yoga and get overpriced frozen yoga. Way to go. What is really needed is more thai food and smoke shops. But seriously Broadway declines as the prices rise. Light rail will only make it worse. Broadway back in the day used to be unique and thriving, I am glad I got out when I did.

$!!!!
11 years ago

This is the part where someone says, “I’m glad you got out when you did too”. I’m that someone.

Ella
Ella
11 years ago

Cheers to that! That last thing I want to see is your negative nancy ass. BE GONE AND DON’T COME BACK. K-Thanks BYE!

Ella
11 years ago

One more thing…If you want your “unique and thriving” Broadway back its waiting at the #8 Bus Stop along Rite Aide drinking OE at 10AM.

jose
11 years ago

in West Seattle that is…

Broyyan
11 years ago

I third that, hating on development replacing derelict buildings is just another annoying Seattle social meme (right up there w/ the Seattle Time’s fake “war on cars”)

MikeH
11 years ago

..and there’s one on upper Queen Anne Ave

jseattle
jseattle
11 years ago

I don’t believe we said this would be the first Menchie’s in Seattle. But maybe I’m missing something.

RainWorshipper
11 years ago

And thus the well-known cycle of gentrification continues. Gays and artists move into inexpensive neighborhoods and make them fun and flirty and everything worth living in, and then developers come into to exploit and ruin everything we’ve worked so hard to create, and in the process raise prices so that we’ll all have to move again and start over–especially now that amenities like light rail are coming in. Amenities are for rich people–they are trying to send the rest of us packing.

And who needs suburbia right in the middle of Capitol Hill? Take your yogurt joints and generic restaurants like Panera and Qdoba and leave my neighborhood alone! We don’t want everything to be bland and look and taste the same. Deep sigh…….

Ohyes
11 years ago

And which “we” are you representing?

Broyyan
11 years ago

your comment falsely assumes that “gays” are generally poor. however, study after study demonstrates the exact opposite (homosexuals tend to be more educated, more affluent, and possess more disposable income). that’s a fact.

hybridtoaster
11 years ago

huh? How is Joule hurting artists and other “interesting” people that made this neighborhood what it is? I’m told before Joule there was a parking lot, a taco time, and something else (I’m thinking grocery store, but there’s one right across the street so that wouldn’t make sense). They didn’t tear down cheap old apartments and put in high end ones is what I’m getting at.

News flash: some people love the spirit of the hill, the locations, and the amenities, but want to come home at night to a nice quiet apartment. The older apartments on Pike/Pine/Broadway aren’t cheaper, plenty of them are more pricey than Joule.

Sure I wish there were more interesting retailers in there but the rent isn’t cheap, and the only people who can afford it apparently are nicer (read: more expensive) local places, banks, or big ugly chains. I can’t think of anything Broadway is missing that I’d rather see in the spaces anyway. I just wish the national chains were replaced with local equivalents.

Bekker
11 years ago

There’s a dearth of trashy fast food on Broadway, what with Taco Bell’s demise, and Jack in the Box gone. I guess there’s still Dicks, but sometimes I don’t want to fight those crowds. And Taco Bell was all that we had on the North end of Broadway, anyway! I miss Noah’s Bagels a lot too. Who wants to walk clear down to Panera in the morning? And I’m not feeling QFC’s bagels. I want schmear too!

Matt
11 years ago

The north end of Broadway was so much better when Minnies was there. The old shitty QFC and Safeway along with Taco Bell were also great. It now feels more a part of Millionaires row now than anything. Yeah it’s nicer and cleaner…but so fucking boring.

Landen
11 years ago

Anyway they can bring the Jade Pagoda back?

amy
amy
11 years ago

I hate frozen yoga too.

shana
11 years ago

wow, just what we need another yoga place. theres lab5 and then golds gym and now corepower yoga. kinda like 4 tobacco shops within walking distance of one another. wow real diversity in the neighborhood. how bout a gr8 bakery or maybe a good deli. i’ve lived in this neighborhood for over 30 yrs & to be honest i wouldnt come up here for anything if i didnt live here

Mark
11 years ago

Corepower is horrible! I used to live in Denver, and they ruin the local yoga economy just like a Walmart, and the quality of instruction is really terrible. They offer a “puppy mill type” teacher training that barely teaches their students anything, and often injure their members because of sheer incompetence. Support your small local studio!