How One Utah Spa Reopened at Full Capacity During COVID-19

In March, when the COVID-19 pandemic became a full-fledged crisis in the United States, Patrick Burton, the owner of a Hand & Stone Massage & Facial Spa in Midvale, Utah was understandably worried about his business. Given the nature of his industry, which involves a high level of physical touch, Burton feared that, even once they were able to reopen, customers might stay away to avoid the risk of exposure.

“It was a very scary time,” said Burton. “In my particular situation we’d been open for about two years. It was hard on employees, hard on me not knowing if we could get back open and what the new world would look like.”

Burton’s Hand & Stone was one of the first 116 of the franchise’s locations to reopen in May, and he quickly discovered that transparency and a commitment to high-quality sanitation were essential to bringing customers back. With the help of Hand & Stone’s corporate team, Burton was not only able to comply with health standards required by the state of Utah to reopen, but opened completely booked and signed 20 new members in the first week.

“We worked on a lot of applying for loans and emergency help,” said Burton. “Mostly we spent a lot of time just getting the spa cleaned and shut down. If we didn’t have the masks, it would’ve been pretty ugly.”

Burton says he feels very comfortable with the business as things stand and feels prepared for any other challenges to come. With social distancing practices in effect, he says people seem to be acting smarter and he wants to play a role in the future safety of Utah residents.

For Hand & Stone VP of Franchise Development Bob McQuillan, a successful reopening was a matter of ensuring all franchisees of the franchise’s 471 locations were ready to go once their respective states reopened. Preparation was key for survival, and elevating sanitation franchise wide, aside from any financial assistance, was the most important task at hand.

“People were fearful of coughing, touching, sneezing and breathing the same air,” said McQuillan. “In our business, it’s really nice to see a positive story like Patrick’s.”

Hand & Stone developed their membership model to secure consistent revenue for its franchisees. Although this model certainly helped to weather the immediate storm, the corporate team quickly adjusted their procedures to further help franchisees and their massage therapists to get ahead in the crisis. From resources and guidance on how to preserve cash flow, to marketing materials describing at-home tips for local distribution, the brand truly came through for their franchisees.

Burton took full advantage of these emergency amenities, and took extra precautions for his employees to ensure they felt secure in their jobs and ready to come back when the time to reopen came. Constant communication and discussions with his employees accelerated this process. Burton contends his employees were the key to the successful reopening, and he knows he can rely on them should a second wave hit.

“While you yourself as a business owner are worried about the big picture,” Burton said, “if you don’t worry about the little details for everybody, there’s going to be problems. You want your employees and customers to feel safe and want to come back; you need to put yourself in their shoes.”