GAZELLE WEST Vol 1, Issue 3 | Page 24

WOMEN IN BUSINESS CREATING MEMORIES AT MISS AIMEE B’S Couple takes the leap – become restaurateurs By ERIN WILLIAMS Though it might not be the first comparison that comes to mind, massage therapy and tea rooms are a lot alike. Both are places where people come to feel relaxed and pampered; there is a calming ambience that puts patrons at ease; and the staff makes a strong point of paying attention to detail, whether it is in putting the right amount of pressure on a certain tense spot, or making sure the chicken salad croissant sandwich you ordered comes out just right. After nine years of running her own massage therapy business, St. Charles native Brie Smithey was ready to take her talent of providing restorative experiences to a new level. She and her husband, Zack, discovered an opportunity to purchase Miss Aimee B’s in 2013 through Brie’s younger sister, who had worked there for a few years. “When we see opportunity anywhere, we take it and run with it, and that’s what we saw with Miss Aimee B’s,” said the 30-year-old. Built in 1865, t H\