Opening a new business during the nation’s economic downturn can be risky, but Spa Pura owners Ben Chun and Michelle Ju think their massage and skin care business will weather the storm.
The pair understand that people are cutting back on spending, but Ju said people should treat themselves during these tough economic times.
“I like to give people a good place where they can relax and they can relieve their stress with not too much expense,” Ju said.
Chun and Ju knew they would have to make their prices affordable to make it through the recession, Spa Pura marketing director Kristen Spaun said.
“What I really believe is that people may be cutting back on fancy vacations or fancy cars, but I think it’s still affordable to get a massage or a facial here and there to make themselves feel better,” she said.
The spa’s massages and facials cost $75 to $400, with the highest-priced treatment being a green peel made from natural plant materials.
“We want to make it so that everybody could afford coming here,” Spaun said.
The 7,000-square-foot spa is expected to open its doors at 2270 Honolulu Ave. to customers Saturday, which is Valentine’s Day. But the spa will have a ribbon-cutting ceremony Tuesday, Spaun said.
The spa will be offering a Valentine’s Day special, which costs $145 and includes a couple’s massage, a fruit platter and champagne. Valentine’s Day-themed gift baskets will be available, and gift cards will also be sold and wrapped with a rose.
The spa also offers a number of skin-care treatments — such as micro-dermabrasion, which removes dead skin from the face — and massages for patrons in its six facial and three massage rooms. Spaun said she hoped the services would lure customers away from spas in surrounding cities.
“This is something that’s in their backyard,” she said.
Chun and Ju chose Montrose to open the spa because the town’s residents appeared to be health-conscious and into self-improvement, Spaun said.
“We love the town,” Spaun said. “It’s so community-oriented here.”
The spa is the first in a chain that Spaun said she, Chun and Ju plan to open. The idea to open a spa had always been a dream for Ju, who said she has a passion for skin care.
“I love going to beauty spas with reasonable prices,” she said.
