Something in the world of floating have you stumped?
Show Highlights
Post float lounges are cool. Lots of float center owners use them to imbue their centers with their own personality, whether it be large sprawling rooms with comically large furniture, oxygen bars with artificial waterfalls, or just a place for you to hide mushroom sculptures for your customers to find. But these come at the cost of square footage for your center, which undoubtedly can cause problems. So, is it worth it? Ashkahn and Graham tackle the pros and cons, getting into the finer details of what it really means to have or not have these rooms in your center.
Listen to Just the Audio
Transcription of this episode… (in case you prefer reading)
Ashkahn: Alright. We got a question coming at you today. It is, “what are the pros and cons of having a post-float lounge?”
Graham: Which I assume is just having a post-float area to sit down. It’s separate though. Like a separate lounge, for people post-float and pre-float?
Ashkahn: Right. So I think we’re talking about one big communal lobby or is there some separate space you have where people can hang out after their float?
Graham: So, separate pre-float and post-float spaces?
Ashkahn: Right.
Graham: First of all at Float On our shop has very little extra room in it. We took up all the extra space in our center with extra floatings. So we don’t have room for a post-float lounge in our center. That’s a little bit of where we’re coming from, personally.
Ashkahn: Which is probably the biggest downside of a post-float lounge is that it takes up space.
Graham: Right. And that’s space that could be used for something else, an extra practitioner room, or-
Ashkahn: Ping-pong room.
Graham: Yeah. Bedroom for when you need take a nap in the center. There’s lots of things you can use that space for.
Ashkahn: So that’s, I would say, probably the biggest consideration is you gotta make sure you actually have enough space to do something like that.
Graham: Because if you’re in somewhere like Arizona or Alaska, it might be less of a concern than being in New York or Pittsburgh.
Ashkahn: I guess the other downside is there is something nice about people after their float, hanging out with people before they go in. It’s kind of fun. People have really nice interactions in that time, where people are seeing the people who just came out and seeing how relaxed they are. They talk a little bit. It makes the new people excited and maybe a little less nervous about getting in there.
Graham: For sure. We’ve walked into so many good conversations the people have just been having in the lounge, who have never met before. Between some of our most seasoned members and totally new first time floaters. “Flirgins”, as we call them.
Ashkahn: I guess one of the big benefits of having a post-float lounge is that your customers don’t have to interact with each other.
Graham: That’s really funny that it’s a benefit and a con. But it’s true. The nice thing is that, for people who are all post-floaty and don’t necessarily want to jump right back into the outside world. Not only do they not have to leave your shop, they don’t even have to interact with anyone who hasn’t just been in the float tank, plus the staff, who are naturally floaty anyway.
Ashkahn: You can make … there is perhaps a different vibe you’d want after a float, than beforehand. Our lobby in Float On is very bright. There’s big windows looking into the street. The walls are painted bright yellow. It’s a very loud, awake sort of space.
Graham: Playful, I would say.
Ashkahn: Playful. I could see more of a nap room type thing. It’s not how I’d necessarily design a post-float space, if that was the intended sole purpose of the room. Your eyes are more sensitive to light when you come out. You probably want something that encourages smaller conversation nooks or something like that.
There is a different goal in mind, I think, with a post-float lounge than with your general lobby.
Graham: Yeah. For sure.
Ashkahn: So, the other benefit of having a single lobby space like we do is, it’s easier for our employees to be able to interact with people. They don’t have to go check the post-float area and talk to people. Maybe get stuck in there talking to someone. While they’re in the lobby, they can be there when new people come in, they can talk to people who are sitting on the couch. If nobody is coming in, who just got out of their floats, it’s just a little bit more organic to be able to easily to talk to whoever is available, whoever seems like you should be talking to them, rather than having to check multiple spaces.
Graham: Yeah. Absolutely. The logistics of making sure that everything’s going okay in your entire center obviously becomes more difficult the more distinct rooms you need to actually keep tabs on. So yeah.
Even though at Float On, we don’t have one, it’s not to say that if we didn’t have extra space, that we wouldn’t have one. That was a lot of negatives. I think I got all those right.
We’ve gone to a lot of centers around the country and around North America that have really nice post-float lounges and they’re totally separate from the pre-float intake area. There’s one that’s really awesome. The entire center looks very clinical, almost. The front desk is very small. You just sit on these, almost like waiting room style … same with the hallways. But then, at the far other side of the center, you go through the hallways with all the tanks and come out, and it’s giant windows looking out into a forest and just bright blue floors, modeled after our floors. It’s a total transition. They almost go for more somber beforehand and more playful afterwards.
There’s also … you get a nice little reveal there that I really like. There are some really cool things that you can do with post-float lounges, for sure.
…If you have the space.
Ashkahn: If you have the space. Alright.
Graham: I think that’s it.
Ashkahn: Yeah. Alright. Good.
Graham: Good episode, buddy. I think people are really going to enjoy this one.
Ashkahn: Yeah. This is gonna be a nice one. I can tell.
Graham: If you want your own questions meanderingly answered on our podcast, definitely go to floattanksolutions.com/podcast. Type ’em in there. And we might get to ’em.
Recent Podcast Episodes
What is the Longest Float Session? – DSP 110
There is somebody, somewhere, that has floated for the longest period of time on the planet. And given how recent the popularity of floating is, it’s likely that the person who floated the longest is alive and that Graham and Ashkahn have met them.
The guys share one of their favorite stories from floaters at Float On, which involves the longest float they’ve ever run. Are you listening Guinness? We’re making history!
How Much Does a Float Center Cost? – DSP 109
The float industry has grown like crazy and no two centers are exactly the same. Some are opulent spas, others are small functional lounge type spaces with some tanks in it. Obviously price is a major factor in these designs, but what’s the range for the cost of a center? Certainly there’s a range, but you also want to make sure you’re not skipping out on important things like sound/water/saltproofing or proper ventilation. So how much is it really, all things considered?
Dealing with trademarks when a center has the same name – DSP 108
Okay. So… this happens. Sometimes float centers open up with the same name. It can be challenging, especially given that there are only so many float puns you can make. Graham and Ashkahn discuss the merits of protecting your name and some of the limitations that come with it, which is impacted by how close another center is, whether or not you have a copyright, and just how much effort you’re willing to put forward to ensure that it stays yours.
Having one tank vs multiple tanks – DSP 107
Is it better to plan out your center for one float tank and build out from there, or should you future-proof your design in case you want to expand? Graham and Ashkahn break down the logistical issues of planning out both and the reasons someone might decide to go one way over another. Construction costs, hiring specialists, and shipping costs are all things to consider when making a decision like this and it can be expensive either way. There are smart ways to build out a center while saving up to expand later, and Graham and Ashkahn make a point to give advice about that as well.
What do you do for Staff Meetings? – DSP 106
Staff meetings are one of those things for float centers that are just a bit more inconvenient than some other places of business. Especially if that float center is open 24 hours a day like Float On is.
In this episode, Graham and Ashkahn talk about how they run meetings, what they think is important to cover, how frequently they happen, and the ideal location for holding them (it’s possible that the shop is too pleasant and inviting to move quickly from one topic to the next).
Latest Blog Posts
No Results Found
The page you requested could not be found. Try refining your search, or use the navigation above to locate the post.
