Contact: Melinda Zemper Sept. 30, 2015
Phone: (513) 706-3737|
Email:
SCORE Names Yoga Bar Client of the Year
An Over-The-Rhine-based yoga studio that prides itself on being a “sanctuary in the center of the city,” was named a SCORE Client of the Year at its annual luncheon celebrating small business successes.
The Yoga Bar was voted Best Yoga Studio in 2015 in Cincinnati and northern Kentucky and has won a number of local business awards, including a $10,000 “Business First Grant” and “Entrepreneur of the Year” Award from the OTR Chamber of Commerce.
SCORE is the volunteer arm of the Small Business Administration. Its working and retired executives mentor small business owners in the areas of business operations, marketing and finance.
Yoga Bar owner Rachel Roberts of Newport opened the studio in 2010, and expanded to a second location in northern Kentucky in 2013. Roberts, a Bad Girl Ventures (BGV) microloan finalist in 2013, was assigned to SCORE counselor Hugh Dayton of Union, Ky., and won a spring, 2014 BGV 2014 investment award of $25,000.
“When I was first assigned to SCORE, I had a team of Hugh Dayton, Carlin Stamm and Mike Crossen,” said Roberts. “I call them my ‘three wise men.’ They give me their wisdom freely and help me make sound business decisions. I can’t believe I ever ran my business on my own without them. All the success of the Yoga Bar I attribute to my SCORE mentors.”
SCORE helped Roberts with financial planning for her growth strategy, expansion in Over-The-Rhine and possible purchase of a Newport building.
“We provide knowledge and information and the client makes the decision,” said Dayton, her lead mentor. “It’s a pleasure to work with people with passion. Rachel has traveled the world and studied yoga to help people sustain their health. She spent almost 20 years away from Cincinnati, including two years traveling the world through yoga before coming back home to Cincinnati from Mysore, India.”
Dayton said The Yoga Bar originally opened on 8th Street and Main and quickly realized there was an even better opportunity for the studio to succeed in Over-The -Rhine.
“When Roberts moved to 14th and Republic, 250 people showed up for the grand opening, and the first class she offered sold out immediately,” he said.
The Yoga Bar offers daily in-studio yoga classes and conducts community outreach classes such as “Yoga on the Green” and “Kids Yoga in Washington Park.”
Yoga Bar employs 17 yoga instructors and revenues are already up 42 percent over last year. For more information about The Yoga Bar, go to TheYogaBars.com or call(513)729-7108.
For more information about SCORE, its counseling services and seminars, go to or call (513) 684-2812.
# # #
1