RCVRI, a luxury wellness and recovery studio, officially opened its doors on July 1 in the heart of downtown Toronto.
Located on Mercer Street, the 2,300-square-foot space introduces a curated collection of science-backed health and recovery therapies — a first-of-its-kind concept for North America.
The studio is situated between King Street and Blue Jays Way, placing it among some of the city’s most iconic destinations.
“We’re right between King Street and Blue Jays Way, so close to TIFF Bell Lightbox, and before you get to the stadium,” said Ashley Haraburda, Managing Partner of RCVRI. “Right across from us is the new Nobu Hotel, and then our neighbours are the St. Germain and the Bisha Hotel. So we’re located in a destination area.”
RCVRI, which stands for “recovery,” was designed with both locals and visitors in mind. “When we were looking at different areas, we wanted to find somewhere that was walkable and easily accessible. But also, since we are a recovery and wellness destination, we wanted to serve both the local Toronto population and those coming in and out of the city,” she added.
“Everything is designed to help people feel their best and optimize both their physical and mental health,” she said. “So we carry a wide range of different recovery solutions, all that are going to harness the latest innovations but most importantly all backed by science and research.”
The studio features a wet and dry zone, offering a comprehensive menu of advanced wellness technologies. “In the dry area, we have compression therapy, we have red light therapy bed, we have PEMF machine therapy. And then we will be adding more modalities within that dry area as we open,” explained Haraburda.
The wet area includes a hot and cold plunge setup and a sauna. “We also have what we’re referring to as our Superior Suite,” she said. “So it’s a private suite that has a private cold plunge as well as a private sauna. And that space is bookable for about four people at a time — a private space separate.”
RCVRI’s arrival is timely, coinciding with the global rise in interest around longevity, wellness, and biohacking. As more fitness studios begin to incorporate recovery into their offerings, Haraburda believes the demand for dedicated wellness spaces is stronger than ever.
“I think in general right now, there’s so much interest in — I’m sure you’ve heard terms such as longevity and biohacking,” she said. “Speaking to longevity, I think that we’re just at a time where a lot of people are wanting to live longer, healthier. They’re more aware of understanding that if we take care of our body now, we’ll stay strong and more energized for years to come.”
She emphasized RCVRI’s mission to be a science-driven alternative in the growing wellness space. “There’s all these ways now that people are finding ways to hack or upgrade our body and mind, but that gets into where we’re more centered — of using science-backed tools to feel better and be able to perform at our best,” she said.
RCVRI’s launch in Toronto marks the brand’s North American debut, with future plans for growth. “RCVRI is a brand that actually started in Australia. We’ve partnered with the team there. Currently in Australia there’s four locations. Ours is the first here in North America,” said Haraburda. “And then there’s expansion plans for both the US and Canada on a wider scale as well.”
As a nod to its new Canadian home, RCVRI is incorporating local touches into the experience. “Just in terms of speaking to the Canadian aspect of it — the sauna, everything is completely Canadian made. We used a Canadian sauna company based out of Quebec,” Haraburda noted. “All the names of the suites we’re giving a nod to Canada and using the Great Lakes. So we’re finding really fun and creative ways to also give a nod to the Canadian ties and really highlighting that here in Canada.”
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