Business started just before shut-down reopens



A new business, Oh My Goodness! Inc. Youth Wellness Center recently opened at 61 New Hyde Park Road and is hosting summer camps, private group playdates, ‘free play’ and enrichment programs for children and their parents/caregivers, as well as a holistic and organic café complete with a coffee bar; smoothies, lattes and refreshments.

The new business, which goes by OMG, is owned by Margaret Elenis and her younger sister Nina.  Margaret describes her journey as “from special education teacher to health coach, inspirer and cheerleader.” Both sisters grew up close to their current business location, minutes from New Hyde Park Road over in the Village of Floral Park. Both sisters are alumni of Queens College and New York-state certified teachers, they were both teaching with the Department of Education, and both sisters hold more than one teaching license. Among Nina’s qualifications in education, she is an early childhood intervention specialist.

In February 2020, they resigned from their teaching positions to focus on opening the new business in Garden City. The official opening of Oh My Goodness was planned for February 24, but that turned into a soft opening with the basics of getting up and running. Then, just two and a half weeks later, life as everyone in America knew it began to shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic and most area businesses faced immediate slowdowns. Oh My Goodness had yet to gain traction in the community as it was in very early stages of welcoming people in, though much interest was already generated by posts and “likes” on social media.

Located next to Repeal restaurant and bar, Oh My Goodness occupies the former location of Rebecca’s Cake Pops, Honestly Delicious and more iterations of bakery and sweet shops in prior years, The new youth wellness center sits across the road from Samudra Yoga (62 New Hyde Park Road) and Broadway Bound Dance Center (66 New Hyde Park Road), two other hubs in Garden City’s West for moms and families.

A kindred spirit is Garden City mom of three and a fellow “momtrepreneur” Sylvia Ehrhart, co-founder of Samudra Yoga.

Around March 12 when the pandemic’s brunt was felt more in the New York region and businesses began shutting down indefinitely, Ehrhart came across New Hyde Park Road and chatted with Elenis at OMG.

“It was an absolute ghost town in the business strip and along main areas of commerce — I don’t think anyone knew what to do except close. We closed for three weeks, but then I said that wasn’t how we’ll ever grow the business. For about two months, we were only open with pretty limited sales of coffee, tea and beverages and people would come in to ask ‘what is this place?’ — at least it was something, and we reached some people,” Elenis explained.

A wakeup call

 

Margaret Elenis is a Franklin Square resident, and her life has evolved much since the birth of her son 5 years ago and the wake-up call to live healthier and strive for better each day that followed. In 2018 she was diagnosed with a malignant tumor, which she could feel in her breast “like a knuckle.” In a span of three months, Margaret, her father and her father-in-law were all diagnosed with cancer. The feelings of darkness and despair were overcome by ambition and clarity.

 The combination of motherhood and creating another baby with the wellness center for children and their parents became fine-tuned following her diagnosis and holistic solutions to help her fight against breast cancer. She detailed much of her journey in a March 2 podcast of “Well & Why,” and in an interview with the News on August 1 the evolution of a business plan was described from personal philosophy.

“The idea behind this business manifested itself after I got sick in 2018, but Nina and I had always wanted to open up a children’s play café — build a modern space with healthy food available so kids can have fun and both kids and adults can benefit from it. I always wanted to have a comforting place where I would take my son and have a great cup of coffee, and that way we would both get the perks and enjoy our time together.

Elenis commented that an ‘OMG’ Kid “is a child who embraces wellness through education and sees it as fun; who is open to try new things and practices Being a Good Human.” Food choice is an integral part of wellness, and the center strives to educate.

“The center’s focus grew to encourage kids to stay headstrong and for all of us to stay healthy, and to choose healthy options each day — the usual play place or activity center comes with orders of chicken nuggets, fries, mac n’ cheese or pizza,” she said.

As parents travel to any venue or activity with children under 10, Margaret says the need to bring a good amount of snacks and meals had to be addressed with opening the wellness center. “It’s for no matter where a family goes — a change of clothes, supplies, food, even diapers for younger ones. So where will we see one place that we can feel like a destination has “the good stuff” — that’s the objective. We carry everything parents would need to enjoy the two hours of relaxing or having their child play and work up a bit of an appetite. This is talking the talk and then walking the walk because we carry healthy options right here. And having the selections means we are a place for kids and parents to try these healthy foods,” she explained.

In the last week of July, Oh My Goodness ran a class called “Under the Sea” and Margaret said two-year-olds to 11-year-olds were trying items like seaweed snacks, sea moss and spirulina for the first time.

“Whether they liked it or not and were able to adapt to the new flavors, it was up to them and for their liking. We offer the exposure, and by presenting this we take an opportunity to help children and families live and eat healthy, find their balance in life and to introduce them to new things they aren’t sure of,” she said. Following such programs as well as the intriguing Facebook, Instagram and blog posts on different foods, ingredients and sugar-replacements, many parents have followed up with questions.

The OhMyGoodnessKids.com website of the new center states “We aim to help our little ones by providing them with the knowledge and tools they need to live a wholesome, well-balanced life, now and for their future selves. Oh My Goodness inspires young minds through unique, beautiful and purposeful play experiences in a modern, clean and simple play center. Oh My Goodness creates opportunity for fun and excitement for parents and children alike.”

A holistic, wellness mindset with visions of growth and gratitude is fostered by every aspect of the new center — from its online presence, its decor, the menu, the interactions and the spirit of connections among parents and between parents and their kids. Programs are continuing to evolve and take shape. A “Baby & Me” Reiki class for new parents was scheduled to begin on Saturday, August 8, with pre registration required.

“There’s many components to this as we offer t-shirts that say ‘Be a Good Human.’ Quite often we define that as the good human being the person that embodies that never ending quest to make themselves better. I am big on philosophy, and as Aristotle said ‘we seek to be better at everything we do.’ But for families, most venues from jungle gyms to birthday party centers to water parks and playplaces do not foster any sense of health and wellness,” Margaret said.

In July, OMG hosted a program for children with mass-marketed products Fruity Pebbles or Cocoa Puffs, ketchup, mixes (Kool Aid) artificial sweeteners, sucralose and aspartame and the like. “We told the children that half the ingredients listed are illegal in Europe, and the kids wanted to know more. We talked about items that are bad for them, and how other countries recognize that but we don’t. If people don’t know then companies get away with it, so read the labels and don’t fall into the traps,” Elenis said.

For the first week of August, the Camp OMG was set to dissect more nutrition labels with children in groups of 5 to 7-year-olds and 8 to 10-year-olds.

 Safety protocols

“Oh My Goodness or a resource along the same lines needs to be a staple in every community — it’s a safe place for everyone to go and for guidance and growth. It’s off but COVID-19 pushed us to do things at a fast pace and offer these summer camp day programs, and we are pleased with the amount of education to the community and parents that is coming out of this building and our endeavor,” Elenis said.

The business is currently being run with private groups’ rentals for “quarantine” birthdays or play dates, limited to families and children who share the same home and those who’ve “quarantined together” as well as the summer camp sessions (with daily rates available) and per-hour playtimes which parents must reserve ahead of time. This use of the space has carried the brand forward in its New Hyde Park location since the middle of June, and some regulars have established routines of coming in for scheduled play periods.

“Some days are really busy from start to finish, but we take the patronage we can and we are grateful. Word has spread steadily through referrals, people hearing about us from neighbors and friends, and on social media. We welcome people in and we’ve set up two bistro tables within the playspace, so it’s theirs during the time block for play and they can feel comfortable, as long as food is kept away from toys — but we clean up afterwards,” Elenis noted.

Safety protocols including half-an-hour of deep cleaning and disinfecting take place in between each rented time period at the center. A video of Margaret using the steamer for all toys and cleaning surfaces with bleach is posted on OMG’s Facebook page.

 Spirit of generosity

On Friday July 31, Samudra Yoga instructor Yahaya came by OMG and decided to offer some photography, pro bono, to the new wellness center as he admired the decor and welcoming atmosphere inside. His generous offer to take the photos showed the collaborative spirit and generosity of small business neighbors in Garden City.

For some time in late June, Oh My Goodness held a “Do Good” t-shirt fundraiser for The INN, as 50% of t-shirt sales were donated to support the INN’s mission during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The West neighborhood location has plenty of ‘network’ appeal, as Oh My Goodness shares the community-centered and Floral Park connections that her neighbor just a few doors down in the New Hyde Park Road business district, Chef Sophia Brivio of The Well-Seasoned Chef (45 New Hyde Park Road), was honored by in fall 2018 and reported in The Garden City News on September 20, 2018.

For more information on Oh My Goodness at 61 New Hyde Park Road email info@ohmygoodnesskids.com.

Business hours range from Tuesdays through Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., but some reservations and bookings for groups have been made 7 days per week to accommodate community members throughout summer.

 

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