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When Michael Anthony opened the first Michael Anthony Aveda Salon 18 years ago, he noticed that there was a demand for spa services. So within a year, he added a day spa. That was 17 years and three stores ago—he now owns four salon/spas in the Chicago area, including the newest, which opened just last fall in Chicago’s Wicker Park neighborhood. The beautiful, sunny location, with floor-to-ceiling windows lining the storefront, was previously set up as a salon and spa, so renovations were minimal to the downstairs spa area. The spa has a natural feel, with neutral colors, dim lighting and a soothing ambiance.
The Wicker Park location is the biggest of the four spas, but only four of its eight treatment rooms are currently set up and being used. “We’re in the process of coming up with what we want to do with the extra space,” says Anthony. “We’ve thought about putting in a private, men’s manicure and pedicure area, or a Thai massage room.” Downstairs, adjacent to the spa, there are four pedicure stations and three manicure stations. The most popular treatments on the menu, though, are the Aveda facials.
“We’ve been with Aveda all 18 years, through thick and thin,” says Anthony. “The education is quite good, and on the product and development side, we’re still able to offer versions of the different types of products that come out.” For instance, he says, when microdermabrasion became popular, they could have added the machine into their spa immediately, but instead decided to wait until Aveda came out with a treatment that had that concept in mind. “In some cases, you could say it’s a missed opportunity, but we want to stay with what’s natural. That’s who we’ve been. We don’t want to spin off into doing medical spa and injectibles—that’s not our forté, let other places do that.”
Despite the current economic situation, Anthony says the spa is doing well—contrary to popular opinion, in times like these, sales often get better. “People may not go on vacation—they don’t drive, they stay put,” he says. “They will go to the spa instead and have a service, and spend a couple of hundred bucks to treat themselves, instead of thousands on a trip.”
Therapist: Shelley Bawiec, Director of Spa Sales & Education for Aveda
Spa: Michael Anthony Aveda SalonSpa, Chicago, Illinois
Products: Aveda
Snapshot: This skin renewing service uses botanicals to treat the conditions of skin aging. It also utilizes Aveda Spa Rituals for stress reduction and wellness.
Contraindications: none
Duration: 60 minutes
Price: $130
Recommended home care: Morning: Purifying Cream Cleanser, Botanical Kinetics Skin Firming Toning Agent, Lifting Serum, Firming Eye Cream, Firming Face Cream and Dual Nature Face Protection SPF 15; Night: Pure Comfort Eye Make-up Remover, Purifying Cream Cleanser, Botanical Kinetics Skin Firming Toning Agent, Lifting Serum, Line Minimizer, Firming Eye Cream and Firming Face Cream.
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