AesthetiCare Medspa worked with Finkle + Williams to design their new flagship branch in Kansas City.
April 6, 2023
*Article written by Leslie Collins - Staff Writer, Kansas City Business Journal
AesthetiCare Medspa has plumped up its growth, leading it to open a new Kansas City flagship location at 9225 Ward Parkway that nearly doubles the square footage of its previous space.
It’s relocating from Leawood at 11100 Ash St., which spanned about 11,000 square feet. The new 20,000-square-foot flagship location is among the nation’s largest med spas. It will house three related businesses on the second floor:
AesthetiCare Medspa (15,000 square feet) — a full-service nonsurgical aesthetic center that offers services such as dermal fillers, Botox, laser treatments and tissue tightening treatments, among others.
Mint Aesthetics (2,500 square feet) — a clinical and business training center that has worked with more than 2,000 clinics worldwide
AC Wellness (2,500 square feet) — focuses on a client’s well-being and health and offers vitamin IV therapies, dietary supplements and treatments for weight loss and vitamin and hormone deficiencies
Husband-and-wife team Kathy and Matt Taranto own AesthetiCare MedSpa and sister brand Mint Aesthetics. They teamed up with a friend and Dr. Amy Carter, who owns AC Wellness, to buy the 36,000-square-foot two-story building in March 2022. The sale price was not disclosed. They’re leasing 16,000 square feet on the first floor to like-minded tenants that complement their business focus.
“We have a dentist down there already and we’re in the process of finding tenants who will all benefit by being with each other that we can refer back and forth,” Matt Taranto said.
The buildout started in September. Leading the project were Lenexa-based Finkle + Williams Architecture and Lenexa-based ARC General Contracting. The med spa is slated to open in April.
“We’re really excited because it’s the first space that we’ve been able to totally design how we want it,” he said.
And it’s not just looks, he said. It’s also functionality — from the treatment room size to the employee break room with better amenities.
“We now have a state-of-the-art facility,” Taranto said.
The group liked the Ward Parkway area because it’s less than four miles from the previous flagship location and it’s a well-known area that people can visualize. Taranto thinks it could lead to new clients, too.
Since its founding in 2001, the company has experienced double-digital growth annually, he said. AesthetiCare Medspa and Mint now employ about 60 people. In addition to the flagship location, AesthetiCare also has a site in Liberty, which opened in September 2020. The Liberty med spa started with 1,750 square feet but expanded to 3,700 square feet earlier this year, thanks to “crazy” growth.
The Liberty success is spurring AesthetiCare to scout a third area location in Lenexa. It’s close to finalizing a deal, and the new space is slated to open by year’s end or in early 2024. The Tarantos previously were part-owners in a Lawrence location, but they later parted ways with their business partners after having different visions for operating the business.
In 2021, AesthetiCare became part of Cosmetic Physician Partners (CPP), a newly formed company comprised of leading operators in medical aesthetic clinics throughout the U.S. CPP consists of 22 member owners, including AesthetiCare. Joining forces allows the members to share best practices and teach each other about new treatments. Together, they have greater buying power and can pool resources such as insurance, marketing and human resources.
Taranto credits AesthetiCare’s growth to several factors, including a greater awareness of med spa services, thanks to TV shows and social media. He also cited the company’s well-trained and tenured employees who provide “platinum-level service,” which drives a sizable amount of referral business. Another win is that treatment options continue to advance.
“I think the next 22 years will be even better than our first 22,” he said.