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When Damien Zouaoui and Jessica French, homeowners of Oakwell Beer Spa, dropped every thing to start out a small enterprise, they had been searching for a grand idea, a novel enterprise mannequin primed for progress.
Whereas touring the globe, they got here throughout every kind of inventive companies, from hedgehog cafés to Airbnb options in camper vans. However one particularly hit house: a beer spa they visited within the mountains of Zakopane, Poland. Whereas soaking in a calming tub of barley and hops, proper subsequent to an all-you-can-drink faucet, Damien and Jessica talked in regards to the potential for the favored European exercise and find out how to translate it for an American buyer base.
“In America, we realized that [the spa industry] could be very transactional and is absolutely centered on a selected viewers. It’s essential to be wholesome. It’s essential to be rich,” Damien mentioned. “We made a promise to ourselves… that we create an inclusive area the place everyone seems to be welcome. Let’s break the stigma that the day spa was meant to be for a selected viewers, maybe ladies, in America.”
Settling in Denver — a U.S. capital of journey, wellness, and craft beer — Damien and Jessica started to carry their imaginative and prescient to life. Atmosphere was an enormous piece of fostering a way of inclusivity. Oakwell’s stunning inside design steers away from the white and sterile spa aesthetic, creating an approachable and intimate atmosphere. The spa even provides quite a lot of therapy choices for non-beer lovers, together with wine and cocktail baths.
Oakwell’s accessible and cozy environment was a key piece of the expertise for reviewer Jessica Okay., a first-time beer spa goer.
“The minute that you simply stroll into this institution, you are in awe with the gorgeous inside design and greeted by the pleasant workers,” her assessment reads. “Earlier than our spa, we loved the complimentary snacks and made our approach to the superb self-serve beer wall. The beers supplied are native, and should you’re not a lot of a beer drinker like I’m, there are alternatives of wine and rosé. Beer Spa is a novel idea, and I cherished each second of it.”
As a result of Oakwell’s enterprise mannequin is so distinctive, critiques are an important a part of spreading the phrase and finetuning providers. Damien and Jessica acknowledge that the novelty of their concept could cause apprehension, and so they admire friends like Jessica Okay. who take the time to share their expertise.
“Good, dangerous, this isn’t the purpose [of reviews]. The purpose right here is to assist us to do higher and at all times enhance providers. I at all times keep in mind… ‘Okay, there’s two methods [to go about receiving feedback]… We take it personally and reply personally, or we take it professionally by stepping again.'”
Damien and Jessica reply to friends’ critiques each time they obtain suggestions. Nevertheless, as a substitute of replying instantly, they put plenty of thought into how they’re going to navigate any criticism, usually calling friends personally to speak about their expertise earlier than responding publicly. They’ve crafted this assessment response technique by trying on the manner different small companies deal with essential suggestions.
“I feel usually the enterprise needs to show that the visitor was incorrect or shed extra mild on the scenario. Possibly, ‘Oh, properly, the friends did not comply with our insurance policies and so they did A, B, and C incorrect, and also you’re deceptive on this assessment,’ and it actually doesn’t look nice,” Damien mentioned. “It doesn’t make the visitor really feel like [they’re] going to be heard if there’s a grievance or a difficulty. It feels very aggressive and combative. And that is one thing that is actually necessary to us—that everybody’s suggestions is legitimate, whether or not they had been in the best or incorrect.”
Whereas they’ve obtained some essential critiques, the spa has 4.9 stars on Yelp and practically 400 critiques, due partially to the prioritization of hospitality. Clients are generally known as “friends,” their names are realized, and the small print of their anniversaries and celebrations are prudently famous. The skilled, full-time workers has performed an enormous position lifting the enterprise off the bottom. By the point an worker begins serving friends, they’re an professional on Oakwell’s beer lineup and outfitted to assist prospects lean into the relief of the expertise.
Oakwell’s top-notch customer support has led demand to exceed provide. With a rising waitlist on their fingers, the subsequent step for Damien and Jessica is opening a brand new location in South Denver to accommodate their friends within the southern suburbs. The brand new location is projected to open within the fall of 2024.
The homeowners hope this enlargement shall be adopted by different places throughout the nation, each company-owned and franchised.
“It was at all times our plan from the start to construct this with the intention to scale. We did not need to simply run a mom-and-pop, single location for the remainder of our lives,” Jessica mentioned. “After we selected this idea throughout our travels, rather a lot was behind it.”
Along with the significance of making a snug surroundings with high-quality customer support, Oakwell Beer Spa believes:
- On-line critiques are a key manner to assist prospects find out about your online business and handle expectations, particularly you probably have a novel enterprise mannequin.
- It is necessary to take a step again when responding to critiques. Taking the time to grasp the client’s facet of the story is usually a precious manner to enhance enterprise operations.
- Enterprise concepts are all over the place. Look exterior your quick environment for alternatives and take into consideration how one can make these concepts match inside your neighborhood.
Take heed to the episode under to listen to instantly from Damien and Jessica, and subscribe to Behind the Evaluation for extra from new enterprise homeowners and reviewers each Thursday.
Obtainable on: Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Pandora, and Soundcloud.
