Kenneth’s Salons & Day Spas,established in 1977,is 100-percent employee owned, andhas nine locations and one academyin the Columbus, Ohio area. Jody Achatz has been with Kenneth’s for 33 years and served as president the past 15 years.

Over the decades, Kenneth’s various locations have gone through the ebbs and flows of the spa business. They opened their first spa in 1996 and currently have three full day spas with massage therapists, estheticians, nail techs, steam showers, full spa menus, and lunches served. Guests can enjoy a full day of beauty—but recently Achatz has asked herself, “Do they want to?” 

Kenneth’s was also one of the first salons in the area to open a med spa in 2006. While it was financially successful, the need to operate through external physicians made the team feel disconnected from its core business model, which led to Kenneth’s phasing out the med spa. “We weren’t comfortable with what we couldn’t control,” she says. “It made us feel vulnerable.” 

Post-med spa, Kenneth’s created a waxing studio in front of the salon to free up facial rooms. Some of their estheticians prefer the fast pace of waxing, while others enjoy providing private, relaxing facials. Both areas were profitable, so Kenneth’s continued with that model until Covid-19 hit. 

Creating an Open Concept Spa

After the pandemic, Kenneth’s was at a crossroads. The spa business wasn’t as profitable as it was before 2020, and it was time for remodels. 

“We started researching med spas again, and took our time,” Achatz says. “But becoming a med spa didn’t help our current technicians, and Ohio’s laws are strict. Again, we’d be diving into the unknown and relinquishing control.”

At the core of their research was their guests. “Our younger guests are not interested in their mother’s day spa,” she says. “And our older demographic of professional women wanted maintenance services done faster.”

With research under their belts and their clients top of mind, Achatz and her team landed on a hybrid concept to suit every guest: an open spa bar in front of the salon and a few suites hidden away for those who want privacy. 

The Vibe

Their Polaris location was the first to be remodeled to reflect the new spa bar concept: In the reception area, the main wall came down and was replaced with a glass wall. Behind the glass is the spa bar. Although there’s still a separation between the salon and spa, all guests can view what’s happening in the spa. 

The new spa consists of four facial bar chairs, one head spa chair, four pedicure chairs and eight nail tech stations, with five private suites in the back. 

“We purchased zero gravity, heated massage chairs, and added risers to them to ensure the correct working height for estheticians—comfort for both guests and our team was key,” Achatz says. 

Guests have a small, weighted blanket placed over them for ultimate relaxation while they receive a brow wax, lash service or facial. Mani/pedi clients are also in the open concept spa, making the whole experience relaxing, but social.

“Our head spa is also part of this new concept,” Achatz says. “We wanted to introduce it to promote overall scalp health, and it ties in well with our extension services.”

For body waxing and those clients who still prefer a quiet facial done in private, Kenneth’s still has treatment rooms available. 

The salon and spa are in the same building, but behind the glass is a totally different vibe. “The music in the spa is low-fi and jazzy,” Achatz says. “And we have a scenting machine thoughtfully chosen to elevate the experience and create a high-end, boutique feel.”

But ever mindful of clients’ busy schedules, the spa also has bar tables throughout.  “Guests can work on their laptops if they’re waiting for a service at the bar,” Achatz says. 

Why it Works

“We changed the whole layout of our Polaris location,” Achatz says. “No more steam showers or relaxation rooms, and no more lunches being served. However, we still have two full-service spas that offer all those amenities. Those locations are scheduled for remodels in early 2026.

“We wanted to honor the people who built us—our main demographic is women ages 35 and up—and they want results.”

Kenneth’s offers a 15 percent discount to guests who come back within 30 days for a maintenance facial, incentivizing them to make facials a regular part of their beauty routine.

“We send guests emails each week to let them know what’s happening with their skin post facial and when they need to book another one to maintain,” she says. “And all our services have a device, like red light therapy, tied to them, so we can deliver real results.” 

It has only been a few months since Kenneth’s rolled out this new concept, but they’re already seeing the spa drive in new guests from the salon and vice versa. 

Key Advice

Achatz says it’s important to know your team and what services they prefer to perform. Some of her estheticians love the social aspect of getting out of the treatment room while others still enjoy the quiet one-on-one treatments. Fortunately, Achatz has been able to accommodate everyone on the team.

“I also recommend putting some space between where the guest will pay and where the services are happening. You don’t want them to overhear how much a bill is going to be or someone answering the phone,” she says.