The family-owned massage center, founded in a single San Antonio studio in 2005, now operates three Austin and three San Antonio locations
AUSTIN, TX, UNITED STATES, March 5, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — When Dr. Steven Shuel walked into a San Antonio massage studio in the spring of 2005, he was five days into retirement. After selling his chiropractic practice in Santa Paula, California, where he had practiced since 1988, Shuel had moved his wife Kathleen and their four daughters to Texas with no plans to reopen a business. The massage he received that afternoon changed the trajectory of his family’s next two decades. According to the company’s published history, Shuel left the session with a single question: what if he could build a massage center where clients received medically informed, therapeutic-level bodywork rather than the relaxation-focused treatments that dominated the market? Six months later, in November 2005, Oak Haven Massage opened its doors.
Twenty years and more than 1.7 million massage sessions later, Oak Haven now employs over 250 people, including more than 200 licensed massage therapists, across six locations in Austin and San Antonio. The company has grown from that first San Antonio studio into one of the largest independent therapeutic massage operations in Central Texas, and it has done so while remaining entirely family-owned and operated. That longevity is statistically uncommon. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, roughly 80% of businesses close within their first 20 years. In the massage therapy industry, where 65% of businesses are sole proprietorships and the average career length for a therapist is five years, the attrition rate is even steeper.
The company’s growth has accelerated in recent years. The MoPac and 2222 location at 5770 N Mopac Expy in Austin opened in mid-2025, with an Austin Chamber of Commerce ribbon cutting on July 25. The South First location at 900 S 1st Street followed in December 2025, designed by Austin-based JDAI Studio with 25 treatment rooms across 6,350 square feet. Both openings gave Oak Haven Massage an equal three-location footprint in Austin and San Antonio for the first time in company history.
“My dad built this company on one idea: that massage should treat the problem, not just help you relax for an hour,” said Allison Moreno, CEO of Oak Haven Massage in Austin, TX and one of Dr. Shuel’s four daughters. “Twenty years later, the industry has caught up to what he was saying all along. Sixty-two percent of massage consumers now come in for a health condition rather than relaxation. That was our model from day one.”
The generational transition has been central to the company’s story. Moreno, who has spent her entire career in the massage industry, now leads the organization alongside her sister Becca, who serves as Regional Manager. Dr. Shuel’s granddaughter Rylee has also joined the team, making Oak Haven Massage a three-generation family business. That continuity extends to the staff. Oak Haven’s therapists average eight years of professional experience, with the majority having been with the company for two or more years and over half serving five years or more. At the MoPac location, Assistant Manager Katy has been with Oak Haven for seven years, therapist Mary G. for nine years, and laundry specialist Alejandra for over seven years.
Oak Haven’s clinical roots continue to shape its operations. Every therapist trains through The Oak Haven Method, a proprietary continuing education curriculum that provides over 300 hours of instruction per location annually. The program covers neuromuscular techniques, orthopedic assessment, and treatment protocols for conditions including sciatica, TMJ, carpal tunnel syndrome, and chronic low back pain. The company’s four-tier therapist advancement system ties training and experience to compensation, with pay ranging from $30 to $54 per hour plus tips and top-earning therapists exceeding $75,000 annually.
The MoPac location offers 17 distinct massage modalities, including deep tissue, therapeutic, ashiatsu, craniosacral, cupping, lymphatic drainage, myofascial release, sports massage, Thai, reflexology, and Reiki. Infrared sauna rooms are also available on site. All Oak Haven locations are open seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. and accept same-day appointments. Monthly memberships include a discounted session that can be shared with family members, with no long-term contract required.
The massage therapy industry has changed substantially since 2005. According to IBISWorld, U.S. massage services revenue is expected to reach $18.9 billion in 2025, and the Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 21% job growth for massage therapists from 2023 to 2033. Oak Haven has positioned itself within that growth by investing in its workforce, expanding its geographic reach, and maintaining the clinical focus that Dr. Shuel established when he walked out of that San Antonio massage studio two decades ago with a business plan forming in his mind.
About Oak Haven Massage
Oak Haven Massage is a family-owned therapeutic massage center founded in November 2005 by Dr. Steven Shuel, a chiropractor with over 32 years of experience in the massage and bodywork field. Now led by CEO Allison Moreno and the second and third generations of the Shuel family, the company operates six locations across Austin and San Antonio, Texas.
Oak Haven employs more than 250 people including over 200 licensed massage therapists, and has completed more than 1.7 million massage sessions since opening. The company offers 17 massage modalities, infrared sauna services, and corporate wellness programs. All locations are open seven days a week, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. For more information, visit oakhavenmassage.com.
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Oak Haven Massage
Address & Phone:
Austin Mopac / 2222
5770 N Mopac Expy, Austin, TX 78731
Phone: (512) 291-2811
Website: https://oakhavenmassage.com
Dr. Steven Shuel
Oak Haven Massage
+1 (512) 291-2811
oakhavenmassageaustin@gmail.com
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