A local couple plans to open three locations of a national Pilates studio chain in the Wilmington area. 

In August, local franchise owners Mindy and Steve Agnoff expect to begin welcoming members to Club Pilates at 1121-F Military Cutoff Road in The Forum. 

They also plan to open two more Club Pilates studios in the near future, having already leased a second space at The Pointe at Barclay, a movie theater-anchored center at 17th Street and Independence Boulevard. 

The Agnoffs, longtime Wilmington residents, have owned businesses here in the past. Mindy Agnoff is a former owner of Mindy & Angie's Fine Paper, a stationery and invitation boutique, and Steve Agnoff is the former owner of Fenner Drives, a local manufacturing plant.

Mindy Agnoff started her previous business in office space before moving to a retail storefront in 2004 in Landfall Center. Mindy & Angie's Fine Paper was then located in Lumina Commons from around 2007 to 2013, before Agnoff sold her portion of the business.

She found Club Pilates during a search for a new venture, when the company only had 65 locations, she said. By the time she and her husband signed on as franchisees, Mindy Agnoff said, the chain was on track to have 400 studios in 45 states.

"I've been doing Pilates for about four years and I've really loved it, and there's not many things exercise-wise that I love," Mindy Agnoff said of her decision to open the studio.

Pilates is named after Joseph Pilates, a German athlete who emigrated to the U.S. in 1926 and advanced his Pilates method, according to Club Pilates marketing materials.

Mindy Agnoff said she thought Club Pilates would be "a perfect fit" for the Wilmington area's coastal lifestyle. The studio will offer members total body workouts that can help with posture, balance, flexibility and strength, the Agnoffs said in news release about their plans. The Agnoffs are in the midst of hiring certified Pilates instructors and sales staff for their locations.

They have scheduled a soft opening Aug. 19 of Club Pilates at The Forum.

Sexton Construction Coastal is working on the interior of the Club Pilates space at The Forum, and Alex Thorpe, of Swain & Associates, represented The Forum in the lease with the Agnoffs.

The Agnoffs said the studio at The Forum will be "light and bright" to inspire members, who can choose from dozens of group classes that use a variety of equipment, including reformers, EXO chairs, TRX, springboard and Barre.

The Club Pilates at The Pointe at Barclay is not yet built, Mindy Agnoff said, and the Agnoffs are considering Leland as a potential town for a third location.