When Aphora Spa opens its doors at 2300 Chestnut Avenue in Glenview on October 7, spa devotees and newcomers alike will be treated to something different – a magnificent multi-million-dollar setting catering to the ultimate in relaxation, a full menu of eco-friendly services at surprisingly affordable prices, and a personal, in the flesh, non-stuffy welcome from owners Kathy and Mike Duncan. Yes, this newest addition to the North Shore may set a new standard in the spa world, comparable to those ridiculously expensive “ranch-type” places in Arizona and California, by understanding that success is predicated on how you are made to feel, from the moment you call or walk in until well after your visit is complete.
“We’re in the business of making you feel better,” says owner Kathy Duncan who, along with husband Mike, created Aphora Spa at the same location in which their former tenant had built out an incredible spa space but went out of business in less than two years – due in part to a challenging economy but perhaps even more to not knowing how to respond to a challenging economy.
“Everyone is cutting back on their ‘feel good’ spending these days,” explains Kathy. “We need to be sensitive to that reality, and we believe our pricing will reflect that.” In addition to pricing that, for exclusive, self-indulgent spa services averages 10-20% below the typical North Shore spa, Kathy and Mike’s business background has taught them that an over-built, over-priced spa catering primarily to that special occasion quickly becomes an under-utilized venue – particularly in a recession. (Kathy, a Northbrook School District PTA President and mother of three, spent many years as an executive in the restaurant industry. Mike was a successful insurance agency owner before becoming a commercial and residential property developer.)
“We need to be a regular part of our clients’ lives,” says Kathy, “and we’re going to do whatever it takes to deliver that caliber and range of extraordinary, eco-friendly mind, body and soul services. There’s nothing worse than paying a lot of money for a customized facial or deep tissue massage and feeling like running home to take a shower and ‘clean off’ from the experience. At Aphora Spa, the before- and after-treatment cleaning and relaxation are half the fun with our 3,000+ square foot ladies’ locker room (the men’s is smaller, but still appealing) complete with a waterfall, hydrotherapy, meditation dark room and tea lounge. You may never want to go home!”
With a certified green footprint, the area’s most complete menu of eco-friendly services and treatments, a healthy cafe and lounge that will include outdoor seating by the lake whenever the weather cooperates, a green boutique and array of extras from nutritional counseling to acupuncture, and a wife and husband team that knows how to build a successful business by catering to their clients’ needs, Aphora Spa should be around for quite a while.
