A FINANCE INDUSTRY VETERAN REVAMPS A RED BANK WELLNESS STAPLE
BY ERIK SCHONING PHOTOS BY ALEX BARRETO PORTRAIT BY TOM ZAPCIC
When Jen Clarke moved to New Jersey 11 years ago, she began frequenting the Woodhouse Spa in Red Bank. As a former VP of Business Evaluations at Goldman Sachs, Clarke was deeply familiar with the myriad benefits of rest and rejuvenation. When an opportunity to purchase the Red Bank location presented itself, Clarke jumped at the chance.
“I always loved going to Woodhouse as a guest, so having the opportunity to actually own a location was like a dream come true,” Clarke said. “Being able to assess and grow businesses has always been something I’m good at. So when I assessed this opportunity, it made sense for me.”
In February of 2023, Clarke officially inked the deal. The Red Bank spa was already a local institution, located in the heart of the downtown shopping and walking district. Clarke’s first order of business was to renovate the 5,400-square-foot space, adding an infrared sauna, additional treatment rooms, and a revamped relaxation room.
Because the new owner didn’t have a background in the beauty industry, she relied heavily on the vast network of Woodhouse franchisees across the country. Woodhouse was founded in Victoria, Texas, in 2001 and now has over 60 locations nationwide. For a first-time spa operator, Clarke found this community to be invaluable.
“The company is very supportive, and that was one of the reasons why I even chose to join a franchise,” Clarke said. “It was easy and seamless for me to reach out to an owner in Atlanta, then fly down to meet with them to ask questions and figure out what they were doing right and where they could improve. The Woodhouse Spa in Red Bank has been around for over ten years, so coming in and trying to implement changes can be tricky. But they were very supportive throughout the entire process.”
Today the spa offers a full suite of facials, massages, nail treatments, and body treatments. As Clarke was building out the new space, she ran into a snag: while there were plenty of Monmouth County locals interested in becoming massage therapists, many lacked the resources to cover the high tuition costs. Ever the entrepreneur, Clarke started her own school. The Elite Touch Institute sponsors tuition for students who are unable to pay, and upon graduation, Clarke will bring them into the Woodhouse ménage to fill out an expanding roster of massage professionals. The first Elite Touch class started on July 1, and one of Clarke’s goals for the year is to graduate 18 new licensed massage therapists and provide them with gainful employment.
No matter what brings clients through the door, Clarke has built her business around a philosophy she calls “mood care.”
“The thing I love most is being able to care for the moods of my guests,” she explained. “The idea is that anytime a guest walks into the spa, we want to make sure their mood changes for the better, no matter where they were when they came in. We want them to have a relaxing, rejuvenating experience, to feel lighter. We want our spa to be an oasis for them.”
One of the spa’s most comprehensive offerings is the Head-to-Toe package, which includes a facial, a massage, and mani or pedi. (It’s a fitting name, for Clarke’s primary objective is improving her clients’ well-being from head to toe.) Two of the most popular items on the menu are the hot stone massage and the Hydrafacial packages. The latter, available in express, classic, and deluxe bundles, is an advanced treatment using a patented Vortex-Fusion system, which painlessly exfoliates and extracts while hydrating the skin. The treatment is followed by the application of peptides and antioxidants, and for guests with the deluxe package, a targeted mask, massage, and LED light therapy.
“The Hydrafacial leaves your skin smooth, rejuvenated, and hydrated, and it’s a service you can do every six weeks,” Clarke said. “Then we give you prescription cards and products that you can take home with you. So you’re putting your best foot and face forward when you step outside to take on the world.”
The hot stone massage, on the other hand, is a full-body experience incorporating Swedish massage techniques and heated stones that help increase circulation. All of the services at Woodhouse have clear and specific intentions; the idea is that the customer can always find a service that will relax, inspire, or ground them as needed.
In the year and a half since Clarke purchased the Red Bank spa, she’s expanded her Woodhouse portfolio, taking over locations in Kingston, Pennsylvania, and St. Petersburg, Florida. As a seasoned business professional, she knows when a brand’s trajectory is on the rise, and she fervently believes the Woodhouse brand is only going to grow.
As Clarke moves into her second year of ownership in Red Bank, her goals are simple: to keep providing top-tier service, and let the results speak for themselves. The spa is already a destination for Monmouth County locals, helmed by an owner dedicated to investing in the local community, from business to the arts.
“I sit on the board of the RiverCenter for the Performing Arts, where I help make decisions regarding what’s going to impact Red Bank as a whole,” Clarke said. “Being able to serve the residents of Red Bank that patron my business is very meaningful for me.”
Woodhouse Spa
73 Broad Street, Red Bank / 732.345.7300