ABOVE: Laura Spitzer, owner of Indulge Salon and Spa, stands with her husband, Tom, and their children, Cecilia, left, Kennedy and Carter, outside the building of the new Indulge & Co. at 83 Downtown Plaza in Fairmont. The new business will be opening next month and will bring with it a range of new services.

FAIRMONT– Indulge Salon and Spa is expanding its services and its footprint with a second location on Downtown Plaza in Fairmont. Owner Laura Spitzer hopes the new business will bring more people into Fairmont’s downtown and that the services will also contribute to the community’s overall wellness.

Spitzer has owned Indulge for 14 years. The salon started out in the current location of Blush in downtown Fairmont but has been at 203 Downtown Plaza for a dozen years.

Indulge will actually remain where it’s at, with all of its current services, but Indulge & Co. will be opening at 83 Downtown Plaza. The space was formerly home to White Orchid and Bark of the Town, which moved to 1240 Lake Avenue.

As for what led to the addition, Spitzer said a lot of big changes both in the world and in her personal life were the catalyst.

“I felt like I was meant to be doing more. A lot of the services that we’re bringing in are services I used after losing Emmalyne,” Spitzer said about her daughter, who passed away at seven months in 2019.

Spitzer explained that she had to travel to get many of the services to help with her grief journey and since then she had been thinking of ways to bring some services here.

“My staff always giggles at me because I think my key phrase in life is ‘I have an idea,'” Spitzer said.

Her passion for this idea lead Spitzer to pursue it. She was able to get a CARES Act Loan, approved by FEDA, and find a building downtown to house the new space and at about 6,000 sq. ft. there’s room for a lot of new services.

There are 15 staff at the current location, which will stay, but another 16 will be coming onboard to work at the new location.

At Indulge Salon, hair services, tanning, facials, manicures and pedicures will remain. Spitzer said they’ve been busy with lash services and that that will continue to be offered at the salon. A second lash technician has also been added there.

An incredible range of services will be coming to Indulge & Co. There will be microblading, cosmetic tattooing, and mini tattoos. There will also be muscle scraping and IV infusion therapy along with many cryotherapy services.

Indulge & Co. will also have a med spa where clients can get botox, fillers and laser hair removal, as well as cosmetic teeth whitening and alignment. Spitzer said there’s a whole list of other services that will be coming in a few months. With the med spa, a nurse practitioner and at least two registered nurses will be on staff.

There will also be halotherapy, or salt therapy, which involves breathing in tiny salt particles to improve breathing and overall wellness. A fitness cocoon infrared pod will be added as well as an infrared sauna.

“We’ll be adding specialized studio fitness classes,” Spitzer said.

A chiropractor and health coach will also be on staff. Other services will include multiple massage therapists on site, Reflexology and Reiki.

Spitzer said in the front there will be a whole boutique which will offer higher end wellness wear. The women’s brand they’ll carry is IVL and the men’s-unisex brand is UNRL. There will be many other wellness items in the boutique.

In addition to all of that, Include & Co. will also include a coffee shop. Spitzer said they got it approved by the city to put a pass-through window on the outside of the building so customers can come inside or get their drink on the outside of the building.

There are apartments above the space so Spitzer and her husband Tom have also become landlords. As for when everything will be complete, Spitzer said they’re pretty much on track.

“All of our inspections passed this week and sheetrock is going up as we speak. Taping and mudding should be done next next,” Spitzer said.

Along with the construction crews, Spitzer said her family, friends and staff have been a big help in making everything happen in a timely manner.

“I’m thinking a good portion of it will be ready to go by mid-April,” Spitzer said.

The new business will be a sister business to Indulge. The two business exteriors will mimic each other to provide a modern look.

“If you get a gift card to Indulge, you get it to both buildings. We’re all married together so we can cross-promote,” Spitzer said.

Since the staff operates as their own boss, they work their own hours and Spitzer said the front desk will be staffed accordingly. More details on hours will be coming out in the coming weeks.

All in all, Spitzer hopes the new business will not only bring traffic into downtown Fairmont but that the services will help provide better health.

“Whether you’re on a grief journey, suffering from Covid or personal things in your life, a lot of these subjects will be touching on anxiety, depression and mental health. I really feel that’s important,” Spitzer said.

She hopes that members of the community get the chance to check out the various services as she said many of them aren’t offered within one to three hours of Fairmont.

“Hopefully people start to feel that Fairmont is a good destination,” Spitzer said.

Outside of her new business, Spitzer would also like to help bring the downtown association back together. She said with the support of each other, a lot can happen.

“With community backing, we can all do a lot. My goal with all of it and my plans going forward is looking at how we can put our downtown on the map again,” Spitzer said.

Her overarching desire is to provide a space that covers mental, physical, emotional wellness and overall happiness.

“I have a great love for our community, especially after everything we went through with Emmalyne and how much support we received. For me this is a way to give back,” Spitzer said.