For almost 20 years, Loretta-Rose Newman has opened the door of Sunrise Massage on Alpine Boulevard, subtly marked with a stained-glass rose. Although February would mark two dozen years of ownership, the longtime Alpine masseuse has decided it is time for the next chapter in her life.
On Sunday, she co-hosted a Meet and Greet with Autumn Roulan, who will be assuming the business under the new moniker of Alpine Sun Massage.
Newman invited her clients to enjoy a hot cup of coffee and a sweet treat on the tables she had laid out with elegant chocolates, baby bundt cakes, and a platter of cookies as she introduced each of her clients to the new gal in town, encouraging everyone to connect with her for future massage sessions.
“I’ve passed the baton. I really want to promote and endorse Autumn because I believe so much in her. She’s going to be really good for Alpine. Our community has been wonderful to me and I think she will also be a great fit for the community,” Newman said.
More than one customer who attended the meet-and-greet commented that they had never seen Newman in a skirt before, to which she laughed, then said she does have legs outside the shop but everyone just knows her from her sessions at work.
She took the time to introduce each of her customers to Roulan, citing details about them from memory such as which ones could only be reached by phone, then walked clients into the back room so Roulan could welcome everyone to her new space.
Standing at the foot of the massage table, Roulan stood tall in her long, flowing dress and described the slight changes she had made to the room, pointing out the peaceful lighting, describing her taste in music, filling people in on how she came to be in Alpine.
Born in La Mesa in 1972, Roulan moved to Oregon with her family when she was 11 years old, then grew up to earn her chops working at Nike headquarters in Beaverton, Oregon.
She describes her early training as being classical, rooted in sports therapy with a client list consisting mainly of professional athletes, followed by eight years on the Oregon coast working seasonally at boutique spas.
“I’m really excited to be here. I’ve been coming down and staying with my friend Shirley every three or four months in La Mesa, not too far from Alpine and a few months ago had an opportunity to give Loretta-Rose a massage… We realized we have very similar styles,” Roulan said.
In acquiring Newman’s business, Roulan says she found it to be an easy transition. She assumed some of Newman’s clients but also plans to build her own clientele as she graces the shop with her own touch.
She describes her ideal client as being in their mid-’50s and trying to stay as healthy as possible, then laughs and says it is where she is in life.
Growing more serious, Roulan says that she still looks to her earliest training and takes the time to discuss individualized treatments with each client that extend beyond their session, a holdover from working with sports medicine.
“Really, Loretta-Rose’s technique was so effective that it has been a pretty smooth transition. My goal is not to change too much of what she did. She’s made such an impact in this community and it is nice to get her endorsement,” Roulan said.
Roulan opened for business on Jan. 7.