The Spa's back, with new owners & a little bit different name

LACONIA — On Friday, the door to the Laconia Spa will again open to patrons after being closed since October of last year. The downtown convenience store, which had been one of the longest-running businesses in the city before a financial fiasco forced its closure, will be operated by Ricky and Patty Patel, the owners of the Case 'N' Keg convenience store on Union Avenue.

The Patels, though they're each only 25 years old, already have many years of experience between them. They were each born in India before immigrating to the United States as children and they each were raised in families that ran convenience stores. After a couple of years of college, where they both studied business administration, they decided that it was time for them to go into business. They bought the Case 'N' Keg store on June 17, 2009.

"It was our competition," Patty responded, when asked why they wanted to open up a second location in the space vacated by the Spa.

"It works out, I know all the customers that live in Laconia, it's a good opportunity," said Ricky.

Because the previous owner retained the rights to the Laconia Spa name, the new store's official name will be the Church St., Laconia Spa. They are planning to re-arrange the store's layout, but beyond those changes they expect to stay true to the model that served local residents for many years.

Ricky said that customers shouldn't expect to see a duplicate Case 'N' Keg on Church Street. Their other store specializes in a wide variety of beers and services customers who stop as they drive along the major thoroughfare. In contrast, the Church St., Laconia Spa is a neighborhood convenience store that provides for the basic essentials of local residents, most of whom walk to the store.

Their store will be, he said, "a nice, packed store with great customer service." They know the expectations are high, as they can hardly turn the light on in the space without passersby stopping in to inquire. "We had so many people coming in when we were packing up," Ricky said.

"We hope we do good," Patty said.

To help them get off on the right foot, they've hired a couple of the employees who used to help run the old Spa. After a month or so of operation, they even plan to continue selling cooked food items, a new amenity added to the Spa last year.

Ricky said it was an easy decision for him and Patty to follow in their parents' line of work. "There is always potential in this kind of business, it can always grow. All the things sold in convenience stores are daily needs for customers," he said. "From experience, from our parents' experience it can always grow."

In addition to the two businesses, the Patels have also welcomed Jiya, a 20-month old girl, into their lives. Will she eventually be seen working the counter? Ricky said no, she'll be "studying, so she can do whatever she wants."

The Patels will open the Church St., Laconia Spa on 6 a.m. on Friday. Regular business hours will be 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., Monday through Saturday, and 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Sunday. Not counting Ricky and Patty, they expect to employ about nine people between their two stores.

The Spa traces its roots back to 1925, when Gus Regas started the business on Main Street. It's been on Church Street since 1955. Patrick Collins had owned the store most recently. He owned a handful of similar stores in New Hampshire, and when a store he owned in Pittsfield failed in late 2010 he was forced to liquidate his assets to resolve his debts.

CAPTION with PATELS in AA:

Ricky, Jiya and Patty Patel stand in the Church St., Laconia Spa, which they plan to open on Friday morning. The location had been the site of the city's longest-running convenience until it closed a few months ago. (Laconia Daily Sun photo/Adam Drapcho)