A new spa—or holistic wellness center, as owner Jill Fieldman and her co-worker Lauren Fitzgerald describe it—called Grateful Tonic has opened in downtown Sarasota on Fruitville Road. It's housed in a 1600-square-foot historic home built in the late 1920s.

Fitzgerald and Fieldman met three years ago while they were working at another spa on Siesta Key and quickly discovered they shared similar goals for their futures.

“We connected right away,” Fitzgerald says. “When [Fieldman] started telling me her dreams and aspirations, it aligned with what I wanted to do: open a wellness center. When she asked me to partner with her, I didn't hesitate. We’ve known each other for three years, and look at what we’ve built!”

Fitzgerald has been working as an aesthetician since 2008 and got her massage therapy license in 2011. 

“I specifically pursued [massage therapy] to become better at giving facials and to better understand the human body,” Fitzgerald says. “I built my clientele in both aesthetics and massage. I love the balance of doing both. I hope to eventually become certified in teaching so that I can host classes here. I want to be a mentor and share my knowledge.”

Fieldman, meanwhile, moved to Sarasota three years ago and works as a holistic practitioner, massage therapist and energy healer.

“I visited Sarasota frequently and felt a draw to be part of this community," she says. "I was always making excuses to be here. Thankfully, I had a friend who lived here, so it made those excuses easy!”

“I have lived, become educated and worked in many different places," she continues. "With each piece of this spa, there is a part of the journey that I took while becoming a practitioner.”

The spa is comprised of six rooms. Guests can choose from services like salt baths, cold plunge, infrared sauna, red light therapy, compression therapy, and ionic foot baths, among others.

“As we grow, I know other things will come about that will focus even deeper on the community at large,” Fieldman says. “We are flexible and excited to see what comes.”

The spa offers three non-massage membership packages that include 10 services for $155 per month; 25 services for $210 per month; and unlimited services for $299 per month. Massage packages range from $55 to $200, and facial packages range from $75 to $300.

“We offer online booking, but we recommend that interested guests come in prior to purchasing a membership, so they can meet us, see the space and make sure this is where they want to be,” Fitzgerald says. 

In addition to its spa services, Grateful Tonic's space decorated in murals painted by a local artist who goes by Swirly. The entry way is painted in large monstera leaves with other flourishes throughout the house that add to the Zen-like feel.

“We feel like this is where we are meant to be in this very moment,” Fitzgerald says.

Grateful Tonic is located at 1744 4th St., Sarasota. For more information call (941) 504-9476 or follow along on Instagram.