LAKELAND, Fla. — A barber by trade, Michael Norado opened a barbershop in north Lakeland in 2019.
“Me and my wife were grinding in the beginning, and we were able to purchase our barbershop,” said Norado.
The business was doing so well that he opened a smoke shop in the same plaza, right next door.
Then, the pandemic hit, and he was forced to shut down. Though it seemed the world was at a standstill, Norado and his wife went back to the drawing board.
"We did a survey of the area to see what can we bring to the area to make it more fresh, more new and bring good vibes to Lakeland,” said Norado.
In 2021 Norado opened Relax Room. The zero-gravity massage chair lounge is one of the first in the nation.
“A human cannot physically do what this chair can do. It's like being massaged by 12 people at once. Imagine a 400 lb. man being rocked like a baby,” said Norado.
The space is designed with music and lighting to help people feel relaxed. Once they’re done relaxing, he hopes people will walk a few short steps to the ice cream shop, which opened two months ago.
“I think it’s good to have access to a lot of different things all in the same area, without you having to travel to the south side, then the north side, to do different things,” said Julimar Norado.
Norado and his wife are leasing the empty unit at the end of the plaza, with plans to open their fifth business, which will be a restaurant.
“We had no investors, no financial advisers, no advice. This is me and my wife and YouTube university and Pinterest. We have our whiteboards and we put in the work,” said Norado.
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