A children's fitness franchise will take over the former pet shop space at the Whitemarsh Shopping Center on Ridge Pike in Plymouth Township.

KidStrong, which operates more than 160 locations across the U.S. and Canada, has signed a lease for the 3,400-square-foot unit at 10 E. Ridge Pike that Ruh Ro Pet Shoppe occupied until its closure in early 2026, according the Brixmor Property Group leasing page for the center.

The franchise offers 45-minute weekly classes for children from walking age through 11, structured around physical, cognitive, and character development. On its website, the company describes itself as "a science-based kids training program that builds strong, confident and high-character kids."

Matt and Megin Sharp founded KidStrong in 2015 in Lexington, Kentucky, originally for their daughter Ella. They partnered with Lincoln Brown to scale the concept, which now serves more than 65,000 children per week, according to the company's website. Nearby locations already operate in Collegeville, Doylestown, and Bensalem.

The Whitemarsh Shopping Center space, listed as unit A2 on the Brixmor leasing page, puts KidStrong alongside several other fitness and wellness tenants: Orangetheory Fitness, Club Pilates, Stretch Zone, and ATI Physical Therapy. The center is anchored by Giant Food Stores and includes Panera Bread, Starbucks, AFC Urgent Care, Mezeh Mediterranean Grill, and other retailers.

One vacancy remains at the shopping center: unit A6, a 1,700-square-foot space formerly occupied by Hair Cuttery, according to the Brixmor listing. Josh Brawer, senior leasing representative for Brixmor, is listed as the contact for the available space.

No opening date for the KidStrong location has been announced. No building permits for the build-out have appeared in Plymouth Township public records as of July 20.