101 Townsend, Birmingham, AL
New: 2,700-square-foot addition
Margot Kohler felt her spa needed more room.After three years at her new location on Townsend Street, adjacent space became available, and Kohler invested $180,000 to add 2,700 square feet to handle more corporate events, retreats and wellness services.
Margot’s Euro Spa now features two hydrotherapy tubs, a state-of-the-art pedicure and manicure area and a conference room that can hold 20 people in a 6,400-square-foot facility, she said.
Kohler expects the additional space will attract bridal parties preparing for a wedding, couples seeking a retreat and corporate executives who want to treat a client or reward employees.
The addition allows Kohler’s 22 employees more room to offer underwater massages, body scrubs, seaweed facials, milk and honey moisturizing body wraps and other services.
The spa experience also attracts more men, who now represent almost one-third of her business, a number that could reach 40 percent in the future, she said.
The International Spa Association concurs with the view that many view spa visits as necessary. Baby boomers, especially, consider spa treatments as an entitlement and not just for special occasions.
The North American portion of the spa industry generates $9.7 billion annually, according to the association.
The main reasons people visit spas are to relieve or reduce stress, soothe sore muscles and joints, and improve their mental and emotional health, the association said.
In the weeks after the addition opened, business increased 12 percent to 16 percent, Kohler said.
In the future, Kohler would like to franchise the concept, possibly taking Margot’s to Chicago or Boston.
