BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT:A one-stop body shop

A new spa in Burbank is going organic — in terms of services, and also structure.

Downtown Burbank’s rA Organic Spa will feature toxin-free, clay-based paint and beauty products that use only organic ingredients.

The new spa on North San Fernando Boulevard will offer Shiatsu, Swedish and Thai Yoga massage, as well as reflexology treatments for the entire body.

“I wanted to go against the typical spa and just sort of challenge what they do,” co-owner Chris Haas said.

But the organic concept goes beyond the products the spa uses and sells.

The paint and construction materials used on the renovation of the spa space are also eco-friendly, Haas said. The spa will also feature art by local sculptors and painters in the coming months.

“Everything, in my opinion, has an energy,” Haas said.

Through design and color palette, Haas hopes to create a positive energy at rA spa.

The lobby will be covered in earth tones and will have a two-tiered waterfall behind the reception desk.

To the left is a long, cream-colored hallway with wood doors leading into six different treatments suites, each with a different theme. There will be garden, Zen, serenity, bamboo and aqua suites, with some featuring large soaking tubs for herbal skin treatments and room for massage tables in each.

The Grande Suite is larger, designed for couples or two-person treatment packages, Haas said.

“When people walk through initially we just want them to say, ‘Wow,’” he said.

But for Sandi Benz, 33, of Burbank, the deciding factor at a spa has a lot to do with the cost.

Benz said she would like to find a local place where she can get a regular massage treatment without breaking her bank account.

“It depends on the price,” Benz said. “We don’t have a spa around here. We have gyms but nobody offers massage. We need something here in the downtown area.”

The cost of an hour-long Thai or Shiatsu massage at the spa is $85. A 60-minute herbal foot care and massage session is $60, as is an hour-long face massage.

RA will also offer waxing, body scrubs and wraps, spa packages and private party services. There will be a membership program that offers discounted rates.

Although there are two chiropractic clinics and various nail, hair and beauty salons and supply stores in the Downtown Burbank shopping center, rA will be the only spot to offer everything under one roof, Haas said.

The spa is currently under construction after a full-on gutting of the space, which used to a be cellphone store, Haas said.

“It’s exciting,” he said. “It’s nerve wracking, but exciting.”

Construction on the store is planned to wrap on Jan. 21 with a grand opening in the first week of February. The spa is at 119 N. San Fernando Blvd.