Massages, facials and more: Spa franchise expands to Murrells Inlet - MyHorryNews.com

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Hand & Stone Massage and Facial Spa is welcoming new clients to the new Murrells Inlet location that held the grand-opening ribbon cutting ceremony on May 1.

The Murrells Inlet location is the third franchise owned and operated by Anthony and Traci Nocito in the Grand Strand area and their seventh location overall.

The Nocitos embarked on their journey as owners of the Hand & Stone franchise in Pennsylvania in 2017 after being loyal members for years. They grew interested in flipping their homestead and business operations to Myrtle Beach in 2020.

“We really wanted to be a part of the growth there and we could see the potential back in 2020,” She said. “It’s a growing area and we would eventually like to retire down there.”

The Nocitos are proud parents of two Chanticleers and have two other children currently enrolled in high school with their sights set on Coastal Carolina University.

Traci Nocito said the plan is to create something to hand down to her children. Since buying a home in 2020, the couple has become active members in the Myrtle Beach Chamber of Commerce and prioritize creating strong connections with the community in their efforts to promote access to wellness services.

Hand and Stone Massage and Facial Spa is a membership based spa that offers either a one-hour massage or signature facial in a $79.95 month-to-month agreement. The membership status saves clients $50 a month with no long term contracts. Traci Nocito said they strive for clients to come in, relax and have “the best hour of their month.”

“Americans seem to be very busy and don’t have time to take care of themselves. So, our goal is to get you as a client to come in once a month and we try to make that as affordable as possible,” she said.

Hand & Stone can also accommodate “spa parties” with advanced notice for graduation or wedding celebrations that flourish in the spring and summer seasons.

“Typically, not everybody wants a facial and not everyone wants a massage in the wedding party. What we will say is, ‘We have four esthetician rooms and five massage rooms, who wants to do what?’ And then we’ll book it out or we’ll do back-to-back services, but we always work out the parties the best we can with the service providers that we have,” Traci Nocito said.





She said the spa franchise often attracts esthetician students coming out of school because they provide additional employment training. She said the estheticians go through a vigorous training program to teach expectations and specifications tailored for the Hand & Stone brand.

“If you see one of my estheticians for a Diamond Glow [facial], let’s say in Murrells Inlet, that same service has to be performed exactly the same in North Myrtle Beach. That’s the beauty of us. You can pretty much guarantee that you’re gonna get that same service anywhere you go,” Traci Nocito said.

The Murrells Inlet location is open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. at 4450 US Highway 17 S., Murrells Inlet. Find more information, visit handandstone.com/locations/murrells-inlet/.