Balloons, complimentary giveaways, and good food greeted clientele at the new Floris Day Spa at 40-2 Riverwalk Place in West New York last week.
The opening brought town officials Mayor Silverio “Sal” Vega, Commissioner Lawrence Riccardi, and Commissioner Michelle Fernandez-Lopez to a ribbon cutting ceremony.
Owner of the Floris Day Spa franchise, Steve Chae, said they had been working on bringing about the new location to the West New York area for almost nine months after careful analysis of the Riverwalk shops area. Construction to the inside of the facility came to approximately $1 million.
The franchise has plans to open 120 stores throughout the United States by the end of 2009.
“This area of Port Imperial is nice, especially if you have kids.” – Angie Topaz
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Hair services too
Next week, the spa will begin to feature hair salon services from stylist Noah Ferrari. Ferrari, who comes from a family of stylists, and has over 15 years of experience. He said that he recently finished work for a music video shoot for the Latin music band “Aventura.”
“I do everything from cut to color and straightening treatments,” said Noah. “I like the serene and very relaxing atmosphere [of the spa]. It’s very open and airy. It has an embracing appeal to it.”
Ferrari then went on to comment on current hair style trends. “I think people are trying to find a look that is long lasting versus something that is trendy and high maintenance,” he said. “People are starting to become more of themselves. So if their hair is curly, women are starting to embrace their curls. Everyone is going back to basics trying to keep their hair more natural.”
The average fee for hair care with Ferrari will range from $45 to $65, though prices vary.
Attracting business in WNY
“It’s a nice edition to the town and it looks gorgeous,” said Commissioner Riccardi. “It’s a nice area. It gives people an opportunity instead of going to Bergen County to come down here and shop.”
“It’s important for cities and municipalities to grow. This is a large investment. People can come to West New York and develop a business like this,” said Vega. “We’re getting a lot of development. Even though people think of the recession and the difficult times, all throughout West New York we’re getting new banks, new businesses, and new residential units.”
Vega added he hoped this would allow West New York to compete with the waterfront areas of other nearby towns.
Coming soon to the shops at Riverwalk will be “Son Cubano,” a brand new high-end Cuban restaurant.
“This area of Port Imperial is nice, especially if you have kids. It’s quite safe,” said Angie Topaz, a local resident who just moved to from New York City with her family including her toddler daughter. “The only thing is we’d like to see the public schools improved so we can stay here for the long term. For now it’s nice to see a nail salon and spa so close by.”
Melissa Rappaport may be reached at mrappaport@hudsonreporter.com