New owners aim to raise profile of NewMarket North spa with community-focused launch
The Hand and Stone Massage and Facial Spa located in NewMarket North has a new owner-operator as Cassidy and Ely Randleas take the reins of the franchise previously operating in the NewMarket Square area. The couple plans a community open house on Nov. 19, promotions and partnerships with other local wellness businesses.
Cassidy Randleas, who described a lifetime of hands-on experience beginning in childhood, will move from mostly offering treatments herself to running the centre as a franchisee. The spa, which opened at NewMarket in 2020, provides massage, facials and waxing with appointments tailored to clients’ preferences.
“We aim for a 5-star experience,” Cassidy Randleas said.
Ely Randleas said he will support the operation with back-end functions while Cassidy focuses on the business side and the customer experience. He acknowledged the human-resource demands of the wellness sector and compared staffing to running a sports team.
“It’s just like a sports teams,” Ely Randleas said, noting the ongoing recruitment challenge in the industry. Cassidy added the reality that many practitioners’ careers in hands-on therapy have relatively short spans, saying, “Most careers end on year seven.”
Local ties and plans for community partnerships
The couple said they like the location and the traffic Newmarket brings. In addition to the open house, they intend to pursue cross-promotional work with neighbouring businesses that offer complementary services, citing an interest in teaming with fitness- and wellness-focused operators such as SweatHouz.
- Open house: Nov. 19 (promotions and giveaways planned)
- Services offered: Massage, facials and waxing, with customised appointments
- Franchise footprint: Hand and Stone operates about 650 sites in the U.S. and Canada
Occidental Management chairman and CEO Gary Oborny helped the Randleases arrange the transaction. The couple have franchise rights that extend beyond the Newmarket location: they hold rights for west Wichita and the first right of refusal for the east side as well, signalling ambitions beyond the immediate community even as they concentrate first on establishing the Newmarket centre.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Location | NewMarket North (NewMarket Square area) |
| Opened in Newmarket | 2020 |
| Planned community event | Open house, Nov. 19 |
| Corporate footprint | ~650 Hand and Stone sites (U.S. & Canada) |
What this means for Newmarket residents
For residents, the change of ownership is likely to be felt most immediately through the Nov. 19 open house, promotional offers and any cross-promotions with nearby fitness or wellness operators. In a downtown-suburban community such as Newmarket, small-business openings and new local operators can influence pedestrian traffic patterns along shopping strips and drive short-term demand for part-time and full-time staff.
While the Randleases have ties to Wichita and hold franchise rights beyond Newmarket, their comment that they value the location and local traffic suggests the Newmarket site will be central to their short-term plans. The couple told reporters they will concentrate on establishing a firm west-side presence before pursuing additional locations.
For the sector overall, the Randleases’ remarks about recruitment reflect a broader challenge facing hands-on wellness services: staff turnover and the physical demands of treatment roles. Their approach — investing in operational support and local partnerships — is a response intended to stabilise the business and broaden its customer base without relying solely on in-house clinicians.
Local consumers interested in the spa’s services or the Nov. 19 open house should watch for further details from the owners and the centre as the event approaches.
