We selected Oasis Day Spa as a winner in the General Excellence category, but, if there were an award for resilience, Oasis and its owner, Bruce Schoenberg, would be a shoe-in.
Schoenberg opened the first Oasis in New York City’s Union Square in 1998 (it closed after a fire in 2006). He expanded to a second location at 1 Park Avenue in Manhattan (between 32nd and 33rd Street), signing the lease for the 7,400-square-foot space in August 2001, just weeks before 9/11. People weren’t exactly running to Midtown spas during the aftermath of the tragedy. “We went forward,” Schoenberg recalls, “and it turned into a big success story.”
Crain’s New York Business named Oasis its Small Business of the Year in 2002, and Schoenberg went on to open locations in JFK’s JetBlue terminal (this closed in 2008 when JetBlue moved to a new terminal), and in Dobbs Ferry. Oasis’ many accolades include multiple Best of Westchester wins and a Best of the Decade win, plus nods from New York Magazine, Dayspa Magazine, and Manhattan Magazine.
But the Westchester location also fell victim to bad timing, opening in November 2008, during the dark days of the financial crisis. Revenues in the first year were $850,000, not enough to turn a profit, but, by 2009, Oasis was in the black, pulling in revenues of more than $1 million. This year, sales are projected to top $2 million, and Oasis boasts 15 treatment rooms, a rooftop garden, a hair/nail salon, and 25 full-time employees administering more than 35 treatments.
Much of the growth comes from the commitment Oasis has made to customers’ wellness. Oasis will refer clients, for example, to its in-house nutritionist if it’s likely to improve their mental or physical health. Same goes for its acupuncturist and a network of local psychologists. “We’re always looking for wellness services that our clientele will benefit from, and it doesn’t always have to be something we make money from,” says Schoenberg. “We do it as a way to engage our clients on their well-being.”