Mother’s Day means big business for some working moms

Millions of moms across the country today will go out, relax and be pampered. Hey, it’s Mother’s Day.

Jamie Mancini, however, a mother of three from Wildwood, will spend the day pampering other mothers and their families.

Mancini and her husband, Rico, are co-owners of Neil’s Steak Seafood Restaurant in their hometown. Jamie, 39, has been a mother for 20 years and a restaurant worker since she was 13. She’s still waiting for her first Mother’s Day off, because Mother’s Day is the single biggest day of the year in her business, according to the National Restaurant Association, a trade group whose latest statistics predict that 75 million American adults would eat in a restaurant today.

“People love to take their mom out to brunch or dinner,” Mancini said. “I appreciate the fact that these people are going out of their way to take their moms out and make it a special day for them. I want to make sure I’m doing everything on my end to make their day as enjoyable and special as I can.”

Mother’s Day is a special occasion in many American families — and in many American businesses, including restaurants, jewelry stores, spas, candy and flower shops, and anywhere else people can go to find gifts or treats to honor their mothers. And in many of those businesses, the person behind the counter or the order pad will be a mother, too, a woman who chooses to work today because, in her job, Mother’s Day is also a money day.

Patti Fairfield is food and beverage manager at Atlantic City Country Club in Northfield and a mother of two grown children. She has worked there for 22 years, so she figures she has worked 22 Mother’s Days. The club’s Mother’s Day brunch does so well that Charles Fahy, the general manager, says they increase their staffing by 75 percent over a normal Sunday.

Fairfield, who also lives in Northfield, expects to be one of “seven or eight” mothers working the brunch, a number that includes five moms who aren’t normally on the schedule for Sunday but who volunteer to work Mother’s Day.

“It’s definitely a good day for them, so they’re used to working and they want to work,” said Fairfield, adding that her own workday will likely run from about 8 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., and “then I’ll pretty much just go home and have a glass of wine.”

Leslie Levin is another mother volunteering to work today — in her own store. She runs Leslie L., a Northfield shop that’s normally closed Sundays. But she opened up for a few hours last Mother’s Day and decided it was a good move. She remembers men running in after church to buy something for their wives in her store, which specializes in jewelry and handbags.

“It’s not big sales, but it’s a bunch of them. It could be a $50 sale. It could be $100. I don’t expect major sales,” Levin said. But, “It means maybe they have never been here before, and their friend said, ‘Go to Leslie.’ … I thought (last year), ‘If I do business, especially the men or even women, they’re going to be very happy I was here.’”

Still, Levin, 55, of Egg Harbor Township, expects to see at least two familiar faces in her store today. She hopes to have sons Shaw, 25, and Fielding, 19, come in and help put up some decorations, then she plans to go out to eat with the boys after she closes up.

“I’m not going to jeopardize my Mother’s Day,” she said. “I’m going to close at 2 p.m. My kids and I are going to pal around.”

For Debbie Cesen, Mother’s Day on the job is nothing new. She’s a veteran of the casino business, which means she worked almost every weekend and holiday for years. But Cesen has worked for the past five years at Cloud 9 Day Spa in her hometown, Galloway Township, and she bought the business about 18 months ago.

As the owner, Cesen feels an obligation to be open on Mother’s Day, so men can buy that last-minute gift certificate and women can get Mother’s Day facials, massages and other treatments.

“When you work in a spa … you should be open on Mother’s Day because it is one of those gifts that some people (give) prior and say, ‘Here’s what we are doing on Mother’s Day,’” said Cesen, 56.

“My mom just asked me, ‘Are you going to be with me on Mother’s Day?’ because she’s in a nursing home. I said, ‘Not during the day, Mom,’” Cesen said. “It’s an opportunity for us. It’s just like being open on Christmas Eve. It would be silly for us not to be open on Christmas Eve.”

And Cesen has another reason she doesn’t mind spending Mother’s Day on the job: Her only child, 19-year-old Hannah, has worked with her at the spa for the last few years, and she’ll be there again today.

“It’s not even a hardship,” Cesen said. “She’s a massage therapist, so she will be doing massages on Mother’s Day, and I will be doing facials. … I’m a mother 365 days a year, and she treats me great 365 days a year, so it’s silly to put that much emphasis into one day.”

But Cesen added that her husband of 23 years, David, doesn’t forget what day this is. She’s sure he’ll take them out to dinner after Cloud 9 closes.

Carmela Rosch, of Ocean City, is a grandmom who will be on the job today at Shriver’s Salt Water Taffy on the city’s Boardwalk. She has two daughters, one in Pennsylvania and one in Maryland, and she doesn’t expect them to come back to their hometown for Mother’s Day.

“I understand. My children have their own children,” said Rosch, who, at 82, doesn’t like to travel much herself anymore. “They spent it with me for many years.”

She knows she’ll see a lot more of their families by summer, so Rosch doesn’t mind working Mother’s Day, even if, in 17 years at Shriver’s, she hasn’t always needed to.

“A lot of families bring their mothers up onto the Boardwalk,” she said, and Ocean City merchants have a tradition of giving out carnations to moms today. “It’s really a happy day, and it’s nice to see that. I see other people happy, and it makes me happy.”

At Every Bloomin Thing, in the Forked River section of Lacey Township, owner Laura Mortimer is happy to say she’ll get to spend Mother’s Day with her entire family, because in her flower shop, Mother’s Day is one of a few days when she has to call in all the reserves.

Today is one of the few Sundays of the year when the store is even open — Easter is another — but Mortimer, who also lives in Forked River, says it’s more than worth the trouble. She estimates her business quadruples on Mother’s Day, even over another normally busy day.

“It’s one of the biggest days of the year, this and Valentine’s Day,” she said.

So her help today will include her husband, Rick; their daughters, Shea and Cassidy; Laura’s mom, Jean McDowell; Laura’s sister, Kelly; and Kelly’s daughter, Irelynn. Most of the above work only on the biggest holidays. Every Bloomin Thing’s normal staff is just three people, Mortimer said.

Judging from 27 years of Mother’s Day experience in the flower shop, she figured she would close the store at the normal 5 p.m. Saturday but probably stay until midnight, putting together Sunday orders. Then she expects to be back in by 7 a.m. today, doing more preparations to open the store at 9 and close about 1 p.m., or when the last customer leaves.

No, that doesn’t leave much time for sleep. “We’re working on coffee and chocolate,” she said, laughing. It also doesn’t leave her in much of a mood to go out and celebrate Mother’s Day.

“We’re in collapsing mode,” she said, laughing again. “I have a favorite restaurant, and we get takeout on the way home. Then it’s take your sneakers off and sit down.”

Contact Martin DeAngelis:

609-272-7237

MDeangelis@pressofac.com

Contact Vincent Jackson:

609-272-7202

VJackson@pressofac.com

Perfect Spa Ideas for Mother’s Day

Today is Mother’s Day, which means that not only are we all celebrating how much we love our moms, but we’re very likely celebrating by taking her to a spa, giving her a gift certificate to a spa, or planning a spa vacation. Let us make it easier for you, with some recommendations of the best spas in the world.

• Best New Spas of 2012
• Spas with a View
• Cruise Ship Spas
• Spa Escapes Around the World
• Spa Trends from our Hot List: Lava Shells, Diamond Dust, Argan Oil

Wellness Week offers great discounts, but you could save year-round – thanks …

HOUSTON—You’ve probably heard of Wellness Week, when spas give big discounts on upscale beauty services and massages. On top of the 50-percent savings this week, you could also save hundreds of dollars all year round, thanks to Uncle Sam.

Everyone loves a good massage. For Kelley Ramsey, a massage is not just about being pampered, it really about scaling down her pain. Today on a scale of one to ten, she ranks her pain a 6 or 7.

On a recent visit to the Kavana Healing Arts Spa, Ramsey rated her pain at a six or seven, on a scale from one to 10.

“Our goal today is to get you down to at least a two or three,” massage therapist Ady Burgida told Ramsey.

Ramsey, 28, suffers from TMJD, a condition where she clenches and grinds her teeth, triggering severe headaches.

“My doctor, who I see for my jaw disorder, actually referred me to Ady,” Ramsey said.

Burgida has been a therapist for 10 years. Putting on a pair of surgical gloves, she massaged Kelley’s mouth from the outside and the inside.

When Ramsey started her weekly massages, she said she saw instant improvement.

“I probably went from having migraines two times a week or three times a week…I’m lucky now to have them twice a month, which is a huge victory for me,” she said.

Better yet, she is saving big bucks on those weekly visits, thanks to a health savings account.

“I probably save with my HSA about $600 a year with money I would’ve been paying the government in taxes,” she said.

There are different variations, like the Flexible Savings Account. They spend like a credit card from money you set aside—money for healthcare throughout the year. That money is not taxed and can be spent on massages. You do not need a doctor’s note to do this.

After all, Burgida said, massages are good for you.

“We are stretching muscle fibers. We increase blood circulation to the area, we are actually flushing metabolic waste from the area,” Burgida said.

In fact, Kavana, on Lexington Street in the Upper Kirby District, helps clients navigate health insurance to see if sessions might be covered.

“Typically, an insurance company will pay anywhere from 50 percent or less,” Burgida said.

Again, you can put up to $3,000 a year away in a health savings account tax free. You don’t have to have a medical condition. You do, however, have to prove it was spent on something “health-related” if you’re ever audited.

Check out wellnessweek2012.com for more info. You can book online or by phone.

• Previous article
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  Docs find clue in quest to predict heart attacks
  

Spa Week offers great discounts, but you could save year-round – thanks to …

HOUSTON—You’ve probably heard of Wellness Week, when spas give big discounts on upscale beauty services and massages. On top of the 50-percent savings this week, you could also save hundreds of dollars all year round, thanks to Uncle Sam.

Everyone loves a good massage. For Kelley Ramsey, a massage is not just about being pampered, it really about scaling down her pain. Today on a scale of one to ten, she ranks her pain a 6 or 7.

On a recent visit to the Kavana Healing Arts Spa, Ramsey rated her pain at a six or seven, on a scale from one to 10.

“Our goal today is to get you down to at least a two or three,” massage therapist Ady Burgida told Ramsey.

Ramsey, 28, suffers from TMJD, a condition where she clenches and grinds her teeth, triggering severe headaches.

“My doctor, who I see for my jaw disorder, actually referred me to Ady,” Ramsey said.

Burgida has been a therapist for 10 years. Putting on a pair of surgical gloves, she massaged Kelley’s mouth from the outside and the inside.

When Ramsey started her weekly massages, she said she saw instant improvement.

“I probably went from having migraines two times a week or three times a week…I’m lucky now to have them twice a month, which is a huge victory for me,” she said.

Better yet, she is saving big bucks on those weekly visits, thanks to a health savings account.

“I probably save with my HSA about $600 a year with money I would’ve been paying the government in taxes,” she said.

There are different variations, like the Flexible Savings Account. They spend like a credit card from money you set aside—money for healthcare throughout the year. That money is not taxed and can be spent on massages. You do not need a doctor’s note to do this.

After all, Burgida said, massages are good for you.

“We are stretching muscle fibers. We increase blood circulation to the area, we are actually flushing metabolic waste from the area,” Burgida said.

In fact, Kavana, on Lexington Street in the Upper Kirby District, helps clients navigate health insurance to see if sessions might be covered.

“Typically, an insurance company will pay anywhere from 50 percent or less,” Burgida said.

Again, you can put up to $3,000 a year away in a health savings account tax free. You don’t have to have a medical condition. You do, however, have to prove it was spent on something “health-related” if you’re ever audited.

Check out wellnessweek2012.com for more info. You can book online or by phone.

• Previous article
  Texas teen’s rare disease disconnects brain from nervous system
  

• Next article
  Docs find clue in quest to predict heart attacks
  

Give Mum a Spa Treat This Mother’s Day – without Spending a Fortune

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(PRWEB UK) 17 March 2012

Unless you have been lucky enough to have received a spa day or spa discount vouchers as a gift, it is unlikely that you would have otherwise been able to afford such an indulgent treat. This is because most spa packages are extremely expensive, even for just one or two treatments.

As you well know, Mother’s Day is coming up very soon, and most mums would absolutely love to go on a spa day or even a weekend as part of their gift. Most mums work very hard, either balancing home and work life or running around after the kids all day.

To reward your mum for years of hard work and self-sacrifice, it would be a lovely idea to send her on a relaxing, indulgent break, where she can be pampered, massaged and beautified to her heart’s content.

The only problem is – most of us can’t afford to buy spa packages for our mums. Or can we? At the moment, there are certain deals and offers on at some of the best spas all over the country. You don’t even need to travel very far, as there are likely to be hotels and smaller spas offering the same treatments as dedicated spa retreats right on your doorstep.

All you need to do is search online for health and beauty discount codes, and keep a look out for spa deals. These types of money off coupons are extremely popular, so you will need to be fast in snapping one of these up as soon as you see them.

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Viva Day Spa’s growth tied to happy workers

From left, Laurie Aroch, Shannon Mouser and Maya Aroch are owners of Viva Day Spa.

Vicky Garza
Staff Writer – Austin Business Journal

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Viva Day Spa’s focus on people starts with its own, working to keep staff happy and stable, and reasoning that satisfied employees lead to satisfied customers.

And that focus appears to be paying off as the spa has expanded to two locations in Austin, received numerous awards from local publications and grown year after year.

Viva had gross sales of $3.1 million in 2011, growing by 16 percent from the previous year. From 2007 to 2010, the company grew an average of 37 percent.

Co-owner Shannon Mouser, who had been a massage therapist at other spas, said how Viva treats its staff is vital to the business’ success.

“Clients can feel if there is a nurturing environment for staff,” Mouser said.

To attract the best therapists, keep the staff satisfied and keep turnover low, Viva Day Spa pays its staff one of the highest rates in its industry. And it hasn’t hindered profitability.

The first Viva Day Spa opened in 2005 on West 35th Street with eight employees using credit cards and some help from friends and family, which included manual labor to build the spa.

The company was able to pay off the debt in six months and outgrew the first location in two years, while increasing its workforce to 63 employees. Sales increased 50 percent from 2006 to 2007, and they could not expand any more at that location.

The co-owners — Mouser, Maya Aroch and Laurie Aroch — took out a bank loan and hired people to work on the second location on South Lamar Boulevard, which was 50 percent bigger.

A third, larger, location is being planned, although schedules have been delayed partly because two of the co-owners are pregnant and partly out of prudence.

“We’re cautious about growing before we’re really ready,” Laurie Aroch said.

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Viva Day Spa’s growth tied to happy workers, clients

From left, Laurie Aroch, Shannon Mouser and Maya Aroch are owners of Viva Day Spa.

Vicky Garza
Staff Writer – Austin Business Journal

Email

Viva Day Spa’s focus on people starts with its own, working to keep staff happy and stable, and reasoning that satisfied employees lead to satisfied customers.

And that focus appears to be paying off as the spa has expanded to two locations in Austin, received numerous awards from local publications and grown year after year.

Viva had gross sales of $3.1 million in 2011, growing by 16 percent from the previous year. From 2007 to 2010, the company grew an average of 37 percent.

Co-owner Shannon Mouser, who had been a massage therapist at other spas, said how Viva treats its staff is vital to the business’ success.

“Clients can feel if there is a nurturing environment for staff,” Mouser said.

To attract the best therapists, keep the staff satisfied and keep turnover low, Viva Day Spa pays its staff one of the highest rates in its industry. And it hasn’t hindered profitability.

The first Viva Day Spa opened in 2005 on West 35th Street with eight employees using credit cards and some help from friends and family, which included manual labor to build the spa.

The company was able to pay off the debt in six months and outgrew the first location in two years, while increasing its workforce to 63 employees. Sales increased 50 percent from 2006 to 2007, and they could not expand any more at that location.

The co-owners — three sisters: Mouser, Maya Aroch and Laurie Aroch — took out a bank loan and hired people to work on the second location on South Lamar Boulevard, which was 50 percent bigger.

A third, larger, location is being planned, although schedules have been delayed partly because two of the co-owners are pregnant and partly out of prudence.

“We’re cautious about growing before we’re really ready,” Laurie Aroch said.

Government, Legal, Transportation

See all your followed company news on your personalized dashboard.

To access the full benefits of bizWatch and receive a weekly email with aggregated news on all the companies you are following, please provide your email address below.

You must have a bizjournals account to follow a company.
Please Log In or Register.

Valentine’s Day: Spa Gift Ideas

One popular gift, or even destination, for Valetnine’s Day is the spa. With Valentine’s nearing, Patch is here to let you know what a few local spas and wellness centers have to offer.

Yemaya Massage Wellness – 120 North Main Street #126, New City – 845-634-3100

This spa has a lot of different possibilities for gift ideas. Owner Heather Koubek said a nice gift would be the discounted spa packages, with come with a combination aromatherapy massage of your choice, as well as either a scalp, foot or sinus relief treatment.

Those sessions usually last about an hour and a half or two hours, she said. The scalp, foot and sinus treatments are a bit more “playful,” she added. The sinus treatments are especially good for people with allergies, she said.

“In the hour-long massage, you’ll get what you really need,” Koubek said.

Yemaya’s massages are all the same price, $80, and individualized.

“We base it on your individual needs,” she said. “We treat you like a person and listen to what you have to say and what you’re looking for.”

Before the massage, they interview the customer about any areas he or she wants worked out, anywhere that’s been bothering them.

For Valentine’s Day, Yemaya is offering a deal on gift certificates where if you buy one you get one half off on a second.

Blissful Spa – 198 Main Street, Nyack – 845-353-6439

Owner Barbara Rosa said Blissful keeps prices low and takes appointments seven days a week.

One possible idea for Valentine’s Day, Rosa said, is to book a couples massage in Blissful’s couples room.

“It’s very popular. If you’re not comfortable, you’re side-by-side with someone else,” she said. “You’re fully-covered and we take out the only part we have to work on. The room’s cosy, the music’s good, it has soft lighting and the tables heat up. We do as much as we can to make it enjoyable and relaxing.”

She said Blissful also does facials, but they primarily stick to massages.

“We keep it concentrated on what we’re great at,” she said.

Blissful has seven rooms and offers gift certificates that don’t expire.

Massage Envy Spa – 8 Rockland Plz, Nanuet – 845-623-3111

For Valentine’s Day, sales associate Jackie Russo said this spa, located in the shopping center at the corner of Route 59 and Middletown Road, is offering a massage and facial deal.

The deal is that you get both for just $99, and you have to purchase it on a gift card before Valentine’s Day. The card can be redeemed at anytime, but you have to get both the facial and massage on the same visit.

Russo also said they’re offering a three-month gift membership for $177 so people can try out their membership program, which normally costs $59 a month. With the membership, you get an hour-massage each month and then discounted rates for additional services. The three-month trial comes with three hour-massages and the discounted rates. She said they also offer membership packages for six months and 12 months.

Freckles Knots Day Spa – 19 N. William Street, Pearl River – 845-735-4600

This new spa opened just last month and for Valentine’s Day is offering 20 percent off on treatments only on the 14th. For the rest of the February, they’re offering 10 percent off on treatments.

Freckles Knots has four treatment rooms, including a couples room. They offer massages, facials and waxing.

Brockton businesswoman hopes for clean break from spa’s past

The new owner of a spa opening at the site of the former Aria Day Spa says she wants a clean break with that location’s troubled past.

The owner of the now-closed Aria Day Spa, Terry Mussari, is facing charges in Brockton District Court of receiving support from prostitution. She was scheduled for a pretrial hearing on Monday, but it was rescheduled to Feb. 28.

Christina Bocchino is the owner of Spa One, which recently opened in the former location of Aria in Michael’s Plaza on Belmont Street in Brockton.

Bocchino said Tuesday she doesn’t want any of the “drama” of the location’s previous owner to affect her business. She is offering to honor gift certificates from Aria in an attempt to make the transition positive.

Mussari is free after posting $2,000 bail and was seen behind the desk at Spa One by a reporter on Tuesday. Bocchino said Mussari is merely continuing to move her equipment out of the site and has no affiliation with the new business. Authorities said there is no legal order keeping Mussari away from the premises.

In October, Mussari was charged after state police and the FBI raided three spas she owned, including the Aria Day Spa in Brockton, Sparkle Day Spa in Canton and Spa Bellissimo in Norwood.

READ MORE about this issue.

Mudbath turned into a spa

A mudbath of a neglected Norfolk farmhouse has been transformed into an exclusive health spa retreat creating 12 new jobs thanks to award-winning architect, Feilden + Mawson.

Imagine Spa at Willow Farm, Blofield Heath is expected to attract around 4,000 guests a year, boosting the local economy and creating new jobs.

Managed by Imagine Spa, which also operates spas in King’s Lynn, Hethersett and Heathrow Airport Terminal 5, the spa caters for up to 25 guests a day.

Architect, Emily Barnston of Feilden + Mawson, Norwich said: “We have created an inner sanctum linking the old with the new.

“Wide corridors are part of the journey with pebbles on the floor so you travel from the welcome area to a place of peace and harmony with wonderful views over the grounds and natural pond.”

Feilden + Mawson – based in Norwich, Cambridge and London in the UK – has now been approached by the owner to design a further spa.

• PHOTOGRAPH SHOWS: Emily Barnston