NEW YORK, Dec. 10, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- XpresSpa Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: XSPA), a health and wellness company, today announced that it has executed its first franchise partnership with Mr. Kevin Stutz, an experienced franchise operator in the health and wellness industry. Under the terms of the agreement, Mr. Stutz will open an XpresSpa location in a Texas based Airport during the first quarter of 2019.

Previously, the Company formally launched the XpresSpa franchising program in order to build upon its fourteen years of health and wellness expertise within the fast-paced airport environment. The program is designed to leverage XpresSpa’s international brand and more efficiently capture the growth opportunity to expand its spa footprint into a much wider selection of markets. The Company intends to partner with dynamic, like-minded operators seeking exposure to the rapidly growing health and wellness industry and who share XpresSpa’s vision of providing premium spa services to customers on-the-go.

“We are very excited to be announcing our first franchisee as part of our broader strategy to expand the reach of the XpresSpa brand as a whole,” said Ed Jankowski, CEO of XpresSpa Group. “Kevin has already built an impressive franchise business with The Joint Chiropractic and his desire to partner with us reflects a natural extension of his commitment to superior customer service in the health and wellness space. While XpresSpa’s growth focus for company-operated spas will remain weighted towards further penetration of existing, larger airports, we believe there are also significant opportunities for franchisees interested in developing spas elsewhere. We are therefore looking for additional partners that seek to grow with the XpresSpa business.”

Mr. Stutz began his career as a wealth manager. While working within the financial services industry, Kevin channeled his entrepreneurial spirit and keen eye for business trends to start Advanced Paging and numerous other Austin-based businesses over the last 20+ years. In 2012, Mr. Stutz entered the health and wellness space as a franchisee of The Joint Chiropractic in Austin. He is now the Master Franchisee for the parent company, The Joint Corp., managing five Austin locations while assisting other franchisees to enter the chiropractic business in Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas.

Mr. Stutz added, “My interest in working with XpresSpa and becoming their first franchisee stems from my passion for health and wellness and desire to build something unique and special in my hometown. I look forward to providing busy travelers the opportunity to de-stress while on-the-go with XpresSpa’s cutting-edge products and services.”

XpresSpa is seeking qualified franchisees to join its brand, and currently offers opportunities across the United States. For more information, potential franchisees should email franchising@xpresspa.com.

About XpresSpa Group, Inc.

XpresSpa Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: XSPA) is a health and wellness company. XpresSpa Group’s core asset, XpresSpa, is the world’s largest airport spa company, with 57 locations in 23 airports globally, including one off-airport spa at Westfield World Trade Center in New York City. XpresSpa offers services that are tailored specifically to the busy customer. XpresSpa is committed to providing exceptional customer experiences with its innovative premium spa services, as well as exclusive luxury travel products and accessories. XpresSpa serves almost one million customers per year at its locations in the United States, Holland, and the United Arab Emirates. XpresSpa Group’s non-core assets include Infomedia and intellectual property assets. To learn more about XpresSpa Group, visit: www.XpresSpaGroup.com. To learn more about XpresSpa, visit www.XpresSpa.com

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