In 2019, Michael Norado and his wife opened a thriving barbershop in north Lakeland. The couple continued to grow their business by opening a smoke shop in the same plaza. However, when the pandemic hit, they were forced to shut down.
Instead of giving up, Norado and his wife decided to rethink their business strategy. They conducted a survey of the area to identify what they could bring to the community to freshen things up and create a positive atmosphere. In 2021, Norado opened Relax Room, a zero-gravity massage chair lounge that is one of the first of its kind in the nation.
The Relax Room offers a unique massage experience that people can’t achieve on their own. The chair is designed to help people unwind with music and lighting. Norado hopes that after their massage, customers will walk a short distance to the nearby ice cream shop, which opened two months ago. By providing different experiences in one area, they hope to eliminate the need for people to travel around town to enjoy various activities.
Looking ahead, Norado and his wife are leasing an empty unit at the end of the plaza with plans to open their fifth business—a restaurant. Without any investors or advisers, they have relied on YouTube tutorials and Pinterest for guidance. Their hard work and dedication have brought them success in opening multiple businesses in the same area.
