Harbor East residents can say namaste to a new yoga studio.
Bikram Yoga Baltimore opened at 1010 Fleet Street in Harbor East last month, the second yoga location for Eddie and Emily Garner. The couple has run a Bikram Yoga in Cockeysville since 2002.
The business owners sensed a business opportunity since there are no yoga studios downtown or in Harbor East, Emily Garner says. The couple invested about $100,000 to open the new store.
The pair thought Harbor East was a good spot since it is full of office workers and young professionals. It is also easy to get to from Federal Hill, Canton and Fells Point.
"We found Harbor East to be the best fit and the most centrally located," Garner says.
A lot of Bikram Yoga clients live in the county and wanted the Garners to open a location in Baltimore City.
The Garners decided to expand because their business in Cockeysville has grown. Though the economy has taken its toll on consumers' disposable income, clients are still coming in for Downward-Facing Dogs and Sun Salutations.
Revenue at the Cockeysville yoga studio has doubled since 2005 and the business is profitable, Garner says.
Garner, a former ballet dancer, took a liking to yoga after a yoga instructor in New York took her under her wing.
"It's not just a business," Garner says. "We really believe in teaching yoga to help improve everyone's daily lives."
Source: Emily Garner, Bikram Yoga
Writer: Julekha Dash