Rare Body Studio, the Pilates concept founded in New York City in 2018 by Colette Delangre, is opening its third location at 290 Dr. MLK St. N in St. Pete this September. According to the operator's Instagram, the new address will house what the studio describes as Tampa Bay's first and only group Cadillac and Chair fusion studio — a format that caps each session at seven clients.
Delangre launched Rare Body in New York City in 2018 and later relocated the business to St. Pete. The studio has built its identity around what it describes as comprehensively trained instructors and a small-group environment where clients are, per the operator, known rather than processed. The Cadillac — a full trapeze table historically reserved for private reformer sessions — and the Chair, a spring-loaded pedal apparatus, appear far less often in group-class programming than the standard reformer, which makes the combined format a distinguishing program claim in the local market.
At the Dr. MLK St. N location, the class schedule runs from beginner to advanced, with dedicated prenatal and postnatal tracks. Inside the studio, a DRINK LX cafe will serve coffee, matcha, smoothies, and cocktails before or after class. The pairing of a cafe concept with a boutique fitness floor has become a distinct operational model for wellness brands looking to extend per-visit revenue and give clients a reason to arrive early or stay after the session ends.
Beyond the studio floor, Rare Body maintains a recurring monthly presence at St. Pete Pier and Armature Works, offering free classes at both locations. The studio also books private parties, pop-ups, and community events year-round. Per the operator's Instagram, Rare Body was named a Best of the Bay 2025 winner and is a 2026 Best Pilates Studio nominee.
Booking for the September opening is live at therarebodystudio.com. The Dr. MLK St. N address is the brand's most operationally layered space to date, with the embedded DRINK LX cafe adding a revenue stream that the studio's prior footprints don't carry. Whether the cafe pairing migrates to existing locations — or becomes the template for future expansion — is worth watching as the fall opening approaches.
