You'll see this over on @Washingtonian soon, but why not spread the word here - from Deacon's snout to your ears ...
A new massage joint opened in DC last Thursday, and no, it’s not the kind of “massage parlor” that DC has long had a bad rep for.
The airy shop, located across the street from several new condo buildings and the new Safeway showcases 20-foot ceilings, oversized windows, and chic hardwood floors. Small screens separate two massage table areas from a central section of massage chairs and a small desk that serves as an office / reception area. The only goods for sale (other than massages, of course) are a small selection of tee shirts and photographs by the same artist who completed the not-yet-hung wall art.
Joanna Robinson, a 28-year-old former fundraising specialist, channeled her entrepreneurial drive and launched Lunar Massage, a small shop on the corner of New York Avenue and 5th St., NW, specializing in seated chair and fully clothed table massages for on-the-go professionals.
Robinson wasn’t a fan of the spa, she says, but she did like health and wellness activities like yoga and Pilates. But really, she says, she’d always wanted to be a business owner – and the idea of owning a brick and mortar shop appealed to her. After originally scouting opportunities to buy into a franchise chain like Massage Envy, which operates several local braches in the DC suburbs, Robinson decided that there was still something missing. The clientele for those chains tended to be middle-aged suburban women, and she wanted to capture the 20-something demographic DC has so much of.
Her studio, she says, is a ‘middle ground’ between a spa and the seated chair massage or tiny massage clinics set up in your local mall or office. Each of her seven on-call massage therapists is a licensed practitioner trained in therapies like medical massage, sports massage, and even shiatsu who will conduct between 20 minute and 90 minute sessions. The price point, which starts at $26 for 20 minutes and goes up to $108 for 90 minutes, falls somewhere between the two options.
“People are intimidated by the spa,” Robinson says. For a 20-something male, the idea of popping in after work to fix is tense shoulders is acceptable. Getting those same guys into fuzzy robes and slippers for a turn with the scented lavender oil rubdowns is next to impossible.
People of this generation work all day in front of computers, and then come home to Facebook, blog and Twitter in front of the television in their group homes at night – they’re stressed, overworked, and under-rested, but most can’t afford or aren’t inclined to spend their weekend days at a spa.
In the coming months, Robinson hopes to offer after work happy hours to draw in more of the young crowd, with wine and short intro chair massages.
When I visited, one client who had seen the spot from her nearby apartment was walking in for a 45-minute session, and another was booked later this afternoon. After less than a week in business, Robinson says she’s seen walk-ins, cold calls, and even online bookings (available via www.lunarmassagedc.com), including five appointments on Sunday. Robinson says that even in the tough economy, she thinks that her mid-range price point and services will keep people coming in.
If the business keeps moving along well, she hopes to open up to five more locations within the next few years in and around the DC area.
First-timers receive $5 off a 60-minute massage.
Lunar Massage, 1101a 5th St NW, Convention Center Area, 202-560-3575; www.lunarmassagedc.com
Tues – Fri: 11am – 8pm, Sat - Sun: 11am – 5p
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