Find rest, relaxation at Massage Heights

Friday, July 30, 2010

By MARYALICE GILL

Staff Writer

BEDFORD – Stressed Bedford residents can soon be relieved of knots and kinks at the Bedford Grove Shopping Center, based on a lease recently signed with Massage Heights.

Centro Properties Group announced the 3,320 square-foot lease at the Bedford Grove Shopping Center, located west of the Everett Turnpike, on the northwest corner of Colby Court and Daniel Webster Highway, in a press release July 19.

“It’s the first Massage Heights in the northeast,” Amy Calandra, Massage Heights area developer, and owner of the Bedford location, said. “Bedford is really a central location in the region, kind of like the focal point.”

Massage Heights is a national brand with 55 therapy locations across the United States. It will take up a spot in the Bedford shopping center where other successful franchises, Hannaford and Walmart, already stand, Centro associates said, thereby contributing to the “quality mix of retailers” there.

“Massage Heights brings all the comforts and benefits of a Tuscan spa to Bedford guests without the excessive cost typically associated with professional massage therapy services,” Calandra said in a statement.

A San Antonio-based company, Massage Heights was originally founded by husband and wife Wayne and Shane Evans in 2004, and is starting its expansion into the northeast with Bedford. It looks to open 1,620 new locations across the country in the next five years.

In the Bedford Grove Shopping Center, people are already warming up to the idea of professional massages, Calandra said.

“We took the keys to the location last week and I’ve been there everyday, cleaning the rooms out,” Calandra said. “People have been stopping by one after the other, saying, ‘What are you doing? What’s going in here?’ and I’ve been handing out tons of brochures to people that are interested. Everybody’s interested in what’s going in. The reception has just been tremendous.”

An introductory massage at the Bedford location will cost $39.99. For a monthly fee, customers can become Massage Heights members to receive discounted services.

“Foundation” membership, $49.99 a month, includes a one-hour massage per month and a discounted price of $39.99 for each additional massage. “Heightened” membership,” $59.99 a month, includes a one-hour massage per month plus an “elevation” of the customer’s choice. Elevation services include hot stone therapy, peppermint foot scrubs, hot towel/cold stone face massages, and aromatherapy. For $79.99 a month, the “pinnacle” membership consists of a one-hour massage plus three elevations of the client’s choice.

Massage Heights also offers custom therapy sessions, performed by licensed professionals, that combine methods of treatment to address problem areas. Treatments range from Swedish massages and sports massages, to deep tissue massages and pregnancy massages, among many others.

The incoming franchise reflects the growing demand for professional massage therapy across the country. According to Calandra, the spa industry is experiencing a growth rate of an estimated 56 percent per year, while massage therapists should see a 25 to 35 percent increase in job opportunities by 2012.

“I think it’s because of the need for massage therapy, and going into the health and wellness field is something that’s obtainable,” Calandra said. “Most of it is for therapeutic reasons – not because there are many people who don’t go for relaxation purposes, because I’m one of them – but lots of people go for health purposes.”

According to Massage Heights’ release, 25 million more Americans each year get a massage today than a decade ago, and consumers receive approximately 230 million massage sessions annually.

Americans use treatments for tension, anxiety and stress, to lower blood pressure, reduce heart rate, increase blood circulation, release endorphins and attain other health benefits.

The massage franchise’s Bedford location is the first in a region-wide effort to expand to up to 10 retreats across the northeast, including Nashua.

The Bedford spa is slated to open in 60 to 90 days, according to Centro associates.

Maryalice Gill can be reached at 594-6490 or mgill@nashuatelegraph.com.