Unhappy customers are surprised and employees are worried after Rituals Spa in the heart of Guilford closed suddenly.
"No warning," said Veronica Ormond, skin care specialist at Rituals for four years. "No warning to clients, no warning to employees."
She hasn't been able to find the owner of the spa and said she's worried about money he owes her and other employees.
"We have paychecks due next Friday and everyone's a little on edge if we're gonna be paid or not. It's our livelihood. This is our job. We spend half of our life here," she said.
The client book lists 4,000 names, she said.
Michelle Kendrioski said she couldn't get clear answers to questions last week and told her 85-year-old mother, "I have a feeling this place is closing up. Unfortunately, she didn't use it (a gift card for a pedicure) fast enough."
The spa has been part of Whitfield Square, at Water and Whitfield in Guilford, for years. The owner of the building said he will get a new tenant.
Local
"There will be another owner in here because it's a great location," said Larry Lupone. "I'll make sure that the next tenant is gonna offer quality service and I will make sure that somehow, the next owner will honor those cards and I want everyone to keep their card because I will do my best to make sure nobody loses their money."
He said there could be as much as $18,000 outstanding in gift cards. Customers can file complaints with the office of the state attorney general, employees with the department of labor.
