Sweat and Tonic is opening a new 18,000-square-foot location in Yorkville

Toronto fitness empire Sweat and Tonic is planting its third flag: an 18,000-square-foot location in Yorkville slated to open this October. The gym-spa hybrid will occupy the second floor of 11 Yorkville, a recently completed 67-storey condo tower.

In 2019, when the brand first burst onto the scene at Yonge and Shuter, it sent shockwaves through the city’s fitness landscape. Its high-octane HIIT and spin studios channelled the energy of a Friday night on King West, drawing crowds and wait lists, while its hot-yoga classes had boutique operators across Toronto breaking into nervous warrior poses, bracing for impact.

Then came the Well in 2023, where Sweat and Tonic has continued to gobble up real estate and add new concepts—including a dedicated Hyrox training lab, a Lagree studio and a 10,000-square foot spa. Its secret sauce is a clever contradiction: the atmosphere and amenities of a luxury athletic club made surprisingly accessible—at least compared to old boys’ sports clubs like the Granite Club, which have initiation fees in the tens of thousands of dollars—through unlimited monthly memberships, commitment-free drop-in credits and class passes.

Seven years and 3.4 million visits later, the beat still hasn’t dropped. Now, Sweat and Tonic is taking its formula to Yorkville, where it will go head to head with Equinox and Avant (Altea’s spin-off for people who find Altea insufficiently fancy). Clearly the brand isn’t afraid of a crowded dance floor.

In fact, Yorkville was always the plan. Founder David Ingram had the neighbourhood in mind when he began developing the Sweat and Tonic concept in 2017. It just took nearly a decade to find the right address. “Finding a space in Yorkville that works economically is really hard because the real estate is so expensive,” says Ingram. “It would be very difficult to build something like the Well in Yorkville. The economics just wouldn’t work.”

Despite its postal code, this won’t be an Avant-style prestige offshoot. Ingram jokes that Sweat and Tonic isn’t rebranding itself for Yorkville, nor is it introducing a Yorkville surcharge. Classes will cost the same number of credits as they do at the Well and at Yonge and Shuter, and while monthly membership pricing has yet to be announced, Ingram says it will be in the same ballpark.

“People can get a bit silly about exclusivity; I find the whole elitist approach ridiculous,” Ingram says. “I’m proud that we’re accessible. We’re not trying to be snobbish by denying people access through ClassPass or credits.”

Sweat and Tonic’s Yorkville outpost will comprise four studios: spin, yoga and mat Pilates, Lagree, and strength. The latter is the newest addition to the brand’s programming: a 48-person studio divided into 12 workout pods, each outfitted with weight racks and cable rigs. Think strength training with the adrenalin of a spin class.

Conspicuously absent is HIIT, one of Sweat and Tonic’s original calling cards. Ingram says cardio-heavy classes have been losing ground as gym goers increasingly gravitate toward strength training. In other words, Sweat and Tonic is following the pulse, even if that pulse is no longer quite so elevated.

And because this is Yorkville, recovery gets the luxury treatment as well. Both changing rooms will feature contrast-therapy suites with infrared high-heat saunas and cold-plunge tubs, all included with class or membership access. “We’ve reached a point where contrast therapy has become a standard requirement, not a paid add-on,” says Ingram.

The studios and trendy contrast-therapy amenities may be the gym’s headliners, but Sweat and Tonic would rather members not bolt when the endorphins wear off. The Yorkville location will also include Tonic House, a members’ lounge and co-working space with cozy seating, a massive fireplace and a speakeasy-style bar. Unlike the studios and spa amenities, it will be reserved for members rather than pay-as-you-go credit users.

And Yorkville won’t be the end of the expansion. Ingram says he’s close to signing the lease for a fourth location, though he won’t reveal where just yet. “It’ll probably be our last Toronto location,” he says. Apparently, that crowded dance floor still has room for one more.