Expansion brings The Lipo Lounge to Ramona

The Lipo Lounge is expanding from its home base in Poway to a remodeled home in Ramona where there are four private spa-like rooms and two larger rooms to accommodate customers.

The business opened in town at 2260 Main St. on June 30 and will celebrate its grand opening from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 11.

Services being offered include Lipo Laser and Lipo Freeze, which are marketed as "revolutionary body contouring treatments that safely and effectively target stubborn fat, safely and permanently with no downtime and guaranteed inch loss."

Other services include massages, facials, air brush tans, eyelash extensions, and in a few months pilates bar and yoga will be introduced.

Owner LeiLani Vidal, 51, earned a bachelor's degree in human biology in 1990 and a doctorate of chiropractor in 1992, both from the Southern California College of Chiropractic in Los Angeles. Her interest in the field grew from working as a chiropractic assistant for two doctors of chiropractic, Lester Weiderrich, D.C., in Poway and David Dodd, D.C., in Penasquitos while she was attending Poway High School.

"I was planning to go to nursing school, but when I worked for the chiropractors I was turned on by the profession and I switched my focus from nursing to chiropracty," Vidal said.

Shortly after obtaining her degrees, Vidal opened the Better Health and Wellness Center in Poway in 1993. Years later, in 2015, she expanded by opening The Lipo Lounge. While located in adjoining suites at 12455 Poway Road, the two businesses offer distinct services, with Better Health and Wellness focusing on massage, acupuncture, chiropracty, nutrition and weight-loss.

Vidal said she was considering expanding The Lipo Lounge to Escondido, La Mesa or Temecula when she happened to spot the building on Main Street that would become Lipo's Ramona home.

"I was looking for a community that would embrace this concept and would not be so close to the city, so that it would be in a remote location," said Vidal, who gave the Ramona building formerly occupied by a quilt shop and then a real estate office a zen vibe with teal and purple accents. "I was riding my motorcycle to Julian one day and I saw the cutest building for rent. I just kind of fell into it."

Vidal, who lives in Poway, is planning to branch out again by opening a Temecula location by Sept. 15 at 28364 Vincent Moraga Drive.

"I feel like we tested the waters in Poway and were able to get the routine down," she said. "It was an evolution to expand The Lipo Lounge into other locations."

Office support staff April Leslie and Marge Cunningham in Ramona will be joined by Vidal's daughter, Alexa Calgaro, who recently graduated with a degree in kinesiology from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Calgaro, 22, will be teaching the pilates bar and yoga classes starting in November.

Also on staff is Office Manager Karen Leomo, who has worked for Vidal for a dozen years at the Better Health and Wellness Center.

"I came in for chiropractic help and she was looking for someone to run the office," Leomo said. "She trained me on the chiropractic side of the house as well."

Now the Rancho Bernardo resident is excited about the prospect of conducting the initial consultations and assisting Vidal with the Lipo Freeze procedures.

The Lipo Lounge's Ramona grand opening will include four free screenings consisting of bone density measurements, computerized body composition analyses and body fat testing, cardiovascular testing, and computerized skin analysis. There will also be a seminar at noon on "The Five Secrets to Weight Loss," chair massages, free food provided by Ramona Family Naturals and entertainment. Visitors who participate in all four screenings will be eligible to spin a wheel for prizes.

For more information or to schedule an appointment, call The Lipo Lounge in Ramona at 760-706-5476.