The Deal
Oakwell Beer Spa, the Colorado-based hospitality brand that pairs private hydrotherapy and sauna suites with a craft beer and wine taproom, has signed its first franchise agreement, placing its debut non-corporate location in Las Vegas with franchisees Andrew and Gina Lanzino. The signing, announced September 9, 2026, marks the first transaction under a franchise program the Denver-founded company launched earlier this year.
Oakwell currently operates two company-owned locations — in Denver and Highlands Ranch, Colorado — and has identified more than 100 target markets nationally as it moves to scale. The brand's unit model is built around reducing dependence on licensed service-provider staffing, a persistent cost and operational constraint across the broader spa and wellness sector, by centering the experience on technology-enabled, self-directed hydrotherapy and sauna use alongside a food and beverage component.
The Franchisees
Andrew Lanzino brings an unusual background for a hospitality franchisee. An Air Force veteran, he holds a bachelor's degree and an MBA from UNLV and spent more than two decades in corporate strategy, most recently as Senior Vice President of Strategy & Citywide Events at MGM Resorts International. In that role he helped execute marquee Las Vegas events including Super Bowl LVIII and the Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix. He currently teaches Strategy & Implementation at UNLV's Harrah College of Hospitality while pursuing a PhD in Global Tourism & Hospitality. Gina Lanzino brings experience across sales, marketing, and operations and serves as Founder and President of 5678 Dance, a Las Vegas nonprofit. Andrew first encountered the beer-spa concept during MBA studies in Prague, making the Oakwell partnership a years-long ambition finally realized.
"Las Vegas runs at full speed around the clock," said Andrew Lanzino, Founding Franchisee of Oakwell Beer Spa. "Most people don't have many places to go that aren't another bar, restaurant, or gym. We want to give them somewhere to slow down, reconnect, and genuinely relax."
Site Search and Pipeline
The Lanzinos are evaluating sites with a focus on the Las Vegas Arts District, a walkable, independently-owned-business corridor that attracts both residents and visitors looking beyond the Strip. No opening timeline or capital investment figure was disclosed in connection with this agreement.
Jessica Zouaoui, Co-Founder and CEO of Oakwell Beer Spa, framed the Las Vegas signing as a template for the broader rollout. "Las Vegas is a market that demands excellence, and we trust them to set the standard for every franchisee who follows," she said. Co-Founder and Chief Growth Officer Damien Zouaoui noted that the brand was designed from the outset as a franchisable concept — one the couple developed after 14 months traveling through 25 countries sourcing hospitality formats adaptable to the U.S. market.
Beyond Las Vegas, Oakwell's active franchise-target list includes Phoenix, Austin, Atlanta, Detroit, Boston, Kansas City, and Charleston. The social-wellness category — which blends beverage-forward hospitality with recovery-oriented amenities — has drawn growing operator interest as health-and-wellness consumer trends reshape foodservice venue formats and franchise development pipelines expand into experiential concepts.
Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.
