Charlotte yoga studio closes abruptly, leaving staff locked out and in limbo
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Okra yoga studio in Charlotte abruptly closed this month citing staff shortages.
- Former employees say the studio lacked a required massage license since 2021.
- Displaced instructors now teach independently in public spaces across Charlotte.
Clients were surprised to find that a Charlotte yoga studio had suddenly closed earlier this month — and so were staff members, when they couldn’t get inside the building.
Okra, a studio in Plaza Midwood, posted signs on the door letting patrons know about the closure last week. “Okra is now closed due to staff shortages,” one of the signs reads. “Will notify when ready to reopen.”
According to the signs and Google, the studio is only closed temporarily, but Grace Millsap, a former yoga teacher and massage therapist at the studio, doesn’t believe that’s the case.
She told CharlotteFive that she planned to give her two-week notice earlier this month due to rumors she had heard about the studio potentially closing, but when one of her colleagues showed up for work the next day, the locks had been changed.
“We had to call our clients directly and cancel with them,” Millsap said. “Since the middle of May, people have tried to reach out to the owner and ask him what is going on.”
Since the studio abruptly closed, Millsap said she’s heard from the owner once.
Multiple attempts by CharlotteFive to contact the owner for comment were unsuccessful.
Licensing issues
In a July 16 email from N.C. Board of Massage Work and Bodywork Therapy Administrative Director Elizabeth Kirk to an Okra massage therapist obtained by CharlotteFive, Kirk said the requirement for massage establishments to be licensed by the state didn’t go into effect until 2021.
“It’s still a concern that Mr. Smith is operating an establishment without a license,” Kirk wrote, referring to Okra’s owner, Hal Smith. “LMBTs should not be working at establishments that do not have an establishment license.”
It’s unclear if the studio was still operational at the time of the email, but according to the N.C. Massage Board online verification tool, Okra is not a licensed establishment in North Carolina.
“We heard from the board of licensure that it was illegal for us to continue working there, and we could potentially be fined for doing so,” Millsap said.
Though Millsap suddenly found herself out of work, there is little legal recourse for her or the rest of the employees at Okra.
“We’re all 1099 employees, so as independent contractors, we don’t have a lot of legal options,” she explained. “North Carolina is a right to work state, so most of the time it doesn’t go in our favor.”
‘The best kind of overwhelming’
Millsap and other teachers have pivoted to offering classes in public spaces since the closure, and said one teacher even taught a class in the Okra parking lot.
“We’ve been trying to support each other and share each other’s offerings,” said Millsap. “We’re trying to do what we can do to stay together and get through this experience.”
Memories of Yoga One’s sudden closure
Millsap said the situation was reminiscent of Yoga One, another Charlotte yoga studio that she and other Okra teachers worked at that closed abruptly in 2020, CharlotteFive previously reported.
“Some of us are very familiar with this,” Millsap said. “That’s why it’s been a little easier to take action, because I was so devastated by a studio closing with no notice.”
But since the announcement, Millsap said she’s had numerous people reach out to her through Instagram offering her space to host the class and clients looking to sign up for one.
“I’ve had an overwhelming number of people reach out and offer spaces, whether it’s for massage therapists or for yoga teachers,” Millsap said. “I had to start a whole document to help me sort through it. It’s the best kind of overwhelming.”
Upcoming yoga classes in Charlotte
Former Okra yoga teachers will host classes around Charlotte in the coming days. Here are a few to check out:
- July 31: Yoga with Sara Ellen Gilstrap, Mint Museum Randolph lawn, 6:30 p.m.
- Aug. 2: T.R.A.P. Yoga with Niche Faulkner, QC Fit, 9:30-10:30 a.m.
- Aug. 4: Long, slow, deep with Niche Faulkner, QC Fit, 6-7 p.m.
- Wednesdays and Fridays: Heated deep stretch with Dani Vayo at QC Fit, 7-8 p.m.
- Wednesdays: All levels stretch with Dani Vayo at Sycamore Brewing, 5:30-6:15 p.m.
- Saturdays: All levels stretch with Dani Vayo at Sycamore Brewing, 10-11 a.m.
- Mondays and Wednesdays: Vinyasa Flow with Tanner Droll at Lucalee Yoga, 5:45 p.m.
- Fridays: Vinyasa Flow with Tanner Droll at Lucalee Yoga, 12:30 p.m.
- Saturdays: Vinyasa Flow with Tanner Droll at Lucalee Yoga, 11 a.m.
Additionally, Claire Santos will be teaching Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays at a private location. Reach out to her via her website or Instagram at @simple.clairety for details.
Inja Vojnović will also teach Tango, Gentle Deep and Vin to Yin classes at a private location. You can email her at injavojnovic@gmail.com for more information.
For more information on upcoming classes, follow Grace Millsap on Instagram, @gracemillsapmagic. If you are a yoga teacher affected by Okra’s closing and you’d like your classes to be added to our list, email us at charlottefive@charlottefive.com with the dates, time and location of the classes.
This story was originally published July 31, 2025 at 5:30 AM.
