Pitt County’s first full-service yoga lounge — the Purple Blossom Studio in downtown Greenville — has been named the inaugural winner of the city’s 2013 Small Business Plan Competition and awarded a $15,000 cash grant to further grow its membership.

The Greenville Redevelopment Commission made the announcement this week, after the Purple Blossom Yoga Studio impressed the board with a business model that won high marks as a “complete,” yet “sensible” approach to broadening the consumer base downtown.

Since opening its doors on Jan. 7, Purple Blossom has already exceeded its annual projections, with more than 450 unique guests visiting the studio at the corner of East Fifth and South Evans streets for a combined 800 classes — many returning after their first free session to purchase a membership, owner and co-founder Suzanne McCartney said.

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