Press
Jeani Read, The Province
Published: Monday, September 03, 2007
http://www.canada.com/theprovince/news/liveit/story.html?id=153bce40-0935-48e1-9635-ff115baef0d3
Sprucing up the body
B.C. men and women tell it the way it is
Mark Cooperstone and Ryan Seitz
Co-owners, Spruce Body Lab, sprucebodylab.com
From left: Ryan Seitz and Mark Cooperstone wanted to create a 'gender-neutral' spa.
Gerry Kahrmann, The Province
Spruce Body Lab: a spa with a difference?
Mark: "Ryan and I envisioned a spa that we'd like to go to. The other spas we experienced were so feminine -- all the cosmetics in the front."
Spruce: men and women both?
Ryan: "It's totally gender-neutral in every way in the hopes of making everyone completely comfortable."
Mark: "Some spas designed for the male market bring in the big-screen TVs and the Xboxes. Guys don't want that!"
Body Lab: what's that about?
Mark: "We loved the name when Rethink Communications came up with it: 'spruce' drawing on nature and rejuvenation and 'body lab' on the science that goes into what we offer."
Ryan: "We have a medical doctor on staff, a practitioner of Chinese medicine, a Zoom dentist, skincare experts and massage therapists. We wanted to invent a treatment facility that incorporated the relaxation of a spa and results-driven treatments as well. We call it a fusion of spa and clinic."
Longtime dream?
Mark: "The thought of creating a business together has always been a dream of ours. Once Ryan had started to achieve success as a registered massage therapist we knew this would be the foundation of the business."
Next step?
Mark: "People actually say they are addicted to Spruce and the prices are reasonable so they come in often. We're planning to open another in Montreal, then we're looking at franchising them. We'd like to be in hotels."
Ryan: "We want to be able to take off a month at a time and travel. We went to Spain for three weeks recently and everything was perfectly organized when we got back. It was a kind of test for the staff, and everybody passed!"
Party boys?
Mark: "We entertain a lot, but it's more of a dinner, cocktail thing."
Ryan: "We have a lot of friends, so every weekend something's going on. But during the week it's more like, barbecue, read and sleep early."
Martini?
Ryan: "I'm a Grey-Goose-on-the-rocks-with olives man. Yum!"
Mark: "I like sweet drinks like Capri-inis and Mojitos. And Margaritas -- can't forget the the tequila!"
Words to live by?
Ryan: "Everything in moderation, including moderation."
jread@png.canwest.com
- The Vancouver Province 2007
-----Spruce/Press Media
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