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Published May 7th, 2014
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Massage Envy Opens in Moraga
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| By Sophie Braccini |
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| From left: Jesse Waters, Diana Recalde, Laura Lott, Dillon Lowe, Joy Moore and Jasper Gillespie. Photo Sophie Braccini |
Massage Envy is a fast growing franchise with more than 950 spas opened over the last 12 years. The business formula combines a membership-based fee, which makes massages and facials more affordable, with a selection of specialized massage therapists and beauticians. The two friends who purchased the first license in Lamorinda, Laura Lott and Joy Moore, met in the corporate world and wanted to start something together that fed their souls. Their grand opening celebration is on May 8 in Moraga's Rheem Shopping Center.
Massage Envy clients are greeted in a large, softly colored entryway by friendly staff and ushered into one of the 11 private treatment rooms; one room is dedicated to couple's massage and another is fragrance-free.
Lott and Moore met 20 years ago while working in human resources for Motorola. They kept in touch over the years even when careers and families took them to different places. "We were just looking for something that would resonate for both of us," says Lott. Then one day Moore was visiting Lott in Atlanta and was treated to a massage at Massage Envy by her friend. "When I saw how it was run, and I got this really great massage, it just spoke to me," recalls Moore. "As we left the place Laura and I looked at each other and the light bulb went off; this would be the perfect business for us."
They contacted the company's headquarters, were interviewed and then quickly accepted into the system. It took them a while to find the right place and get trained. "Massage Envy's regional developer recommended different places," says Moore. "When we looked at Lamorinda we immediately loved it." They searched for a place that was large enough, had enough parking, and would be safe. The Rheem Shopping Center was a good fit; they combined two existing retail spaces and, aside from a few incidents common in construction, things moved smoothly toward the soft opening on April 21.
Recruiting the right massage therapists has been their highest priority. "Massage Envy has very strict requirements regarding the massage therapists we hire (never use the world masseuse in front of them), licensing, experience, criminal background check," says Lott. "The hard part about the interviews is that we have to get a massage ourselves," adds Moore with a smile.
Moore says that she trained with the No.1 store in the region for 18 months to understand not only the business model but also what makes the difference between a good massage and a great massage. They hired massage therapists who have additional specialized training in areas such as treating migraines or sports injuries. "We are now training them to make sure they master all the details, such as warming hands, being able to really listen to the person's preference, and accommodating differences," says Moore.
The marketing concept behind the success of Massage Envy is the membership that people purchase to get massages at a discount. For $59.99 a month, clients get a monthly one-hour massage (the regular price is $109.99), additional massages are $49.99. "We got calls from Lamorinda residents who are already Massage Envy members and go to Walnut Creek for their treatment," explains Moore. "With their membership, they can go to any Massage Envy nationally."
"People can give one or many of their monthly massages to someone of their choice," adds Moore, "for example, there is a local small business owner who purchased a membership and gives a massage to the employee of the month."
Services include relaxation, deep tissue, sports and foot massage, and specialized treatments such as cranial sacral therapy, geriatric and prenatal massage; they also offer aroma-therapy and facials using skin products by Murad. Massage Envy is open every day at 558 Center Street in the Rheem Shopping Center; call (925) 376-3689 or go to www.facebook.com/MassageEnvyLamorinda.
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Lamorinda Weekly business articles are intended to inform the community about local business activities, not to endorse a particular company, product or service.
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Lamorinda Weekly, Moraga CA