By Howard Koplowitz
What started out as her daughter’s idea for a birthday party has ended up as a full−fledged business for Lisa Middleton−Thompson.
Middleton−Thompson owns Rub−a−Dub Spa Parties for Kids at 225−20 Merrick Blvd. in Laurelton, which opened in November and is modeled after a spa party she threw for her daughter Jamila’s 7th birthday in October.
“My daughter, she’s the inspiration for the whole thing,” Middleton−Thompson said. “There were little girls that were so happy they were actually crying. So I decided to make a business out of it.”
Middleton−Thompson said costs and finding a close enough location to hold her daughter’s party led her to plan and organize it herself. She claimed Rub−a−Dub was the only such business of its kind in Queens.
Parents “have to go all the way out on Long Island to find something like this,” she said.
Middleton−Thompson has held eight parties since the business opened.
At the parties, young girls are treated to facials, mini−manicures and pedicures, massages, makeup and glittery tattoos while Middleton−Thompson’s employees hand out finger foods.
The facial masks are made using all−natural ingredients such as cucumber, mayonnaise and avocado, Middleton−Thompson said.
“We try to be health−conscious with what we put on a kid’s face,” she said.
Before the pampering begins, the guests play “spa games,” such as pin the purse on the diva, spin the nail polish and pass the spa word.
The parties generally run about 2 1⁄2 hours.
The storefront where the parties are held used to be a classroom for a day care center run by Middleton−Thompson and her mother.
Middleton−Thompson said girls who attend the day care — which is still run at an adjacent storefront — have been interested in having their own spa parties.
“It’s less stressful than teaching,” Middleton−Thompson said of running the business, which caters to girls from age 5 to pre−teens.
A party for eight to 10 girls costs $300, with $30 a head each over that amount.
She said the business has been successful despite the weak economy.
“Things with kids seem to go well,” Middleton−Thompson said.
She said the convenience and cost make Rub−a−Dub an attractive option for her customers.
“There is a lot of work, planning and preparation involved,” she said. “It’s not as easy as it looks. It’s the convenience of it.”
Starting later this month, Rub−a−Dub will expand its party business by rolling out weekly yoga, stress relief and mediation classes to teach youngsters about nutrition.
Reach reporter Howard Koplowitz by e−mail at hkoplowitz@timesledger.com or by phone at 718−229−0300, Ext. 173.
