Tower Beauty Spa opens in Hammons Tower

Offering nail and aesthetician services, the Tower Beauty Spa opened Dec. 4 in the Hammons Tower building, 901 E. St. Louis St.

Todd Hart, co-owner of Newland Construction Group LLC, knows he’s not the first person to come to mind when picturing the owner of a spa.

“One of the wives wanted to open a spa and nail salon, and we thought that would be a good investment,” he said, referring to the spouse of someone from his company.

That was MaKenna Hart, Todd’s sister-in-law, now the manager and sole employee of the new business. She is working on hiring a nail tech to join her.

MaKenna is married to Todd’s brother Joe Hart, who also works at Newland Construction.

Todd Hart said his company does a lot of construction work for the tower, where the spa is located on the ground floor.

“We have a good relationship with the owners, and we saw some spaces open,” he said.

The location was strategically promising, he noted.

“We knew that there weren’t a lot of nail salons around campus, and we thought we could take advantage of the location by appealing to campus, appealing to business professionals in the tower and the Kutak building,” he said, referring to the office building at 300 S. John Q. Hammons Parkway. “Also, there’s the University Plaza [Hotel] right there, and we’ve been reaching out to try to partner with them for deals for any guests who might want to use our services.”

In short, Hart said, they’re attempting to reach out to busy people who might appreciate something convenient and close by.

The opening was a quiet one, according to Hart.

“It’s been more of a soft opening, trying to get the space tuned up and dialed in,” he said. “This month we’ll start pushing to get the news out.”

Infill cost was about $22,000 for the space that Hart estimates to be 750-800 square feet. Rent is about $1,100 per month, he said. The space has a reception area where guests can enjoy complimentary coffee and water while they wait for service.

There are two nail chairs and two pedicure chairs, and there is also a room for aesthetician services, such as facials and waxing.

MaKenna Hart stands ready to offer spa facials that she says are customized for each client.

“Everyone’s skin is different, with different skin types and different skin concerns,” she said. “I want to make sure our services are as customized as possible.”

The spa offers GlyMed+ brand chemical peels – right for aging or textured skin, acne or hyperpigmentation, she said.

“I don’t want to make anyone feel like they have to fix anything,” she said. “If it helps them feel comfortable in their own skin, there’s a service for them.”

Among other services are lash lifts and tint, brow lamination and tint and Dermaplane facials, which she describes as similar to a medical-grade scalpel to eliminate peach fuzz and provide light exfoliation.

MaKenna Hart said she is excited to be in the new space, and it’s still surprising that a comment about wanting a spa manifested the way that it did.

“I definitely didn’t think it would ever turn into me managing a spa,” she said. “I’m very grateful for all the help I’ve had and how it’s turned out so far.”