K2 Roots & Vitality Wellness Club opens “one-stop health shop” in downtown State College

Happy Valley has something for almost everyone. In a town that is home to many Central Pennsylvania residents, thousands of students from near and far, world-class athletes and many more, some people felt that a social wellness facility focused on recreation and relaxation was lacking.

Nittany Lion Wrestling Club members and Olympians David Taylor and Kyle Dake noticed the gap in State College’s healthcare offerings and took matters into their own hands.

Taylor, a two-time Penn State national wrestling champion and two-time Hodge Trophy winner, owns K2 Roots juice bar, formerly located on Fraser Street, which provides downtown State College with healthy food and beverages for community members and athletes. After operating K2 Roots for nearly seven years, combining high levels of travel with world-class wellness amenities, Taylor and Dake joined forces to bring Vitality Wellness Club to Happy Valley.

Taylor K2 Roots’ original Fraser Street location closed and its new location was unofficially opened to the public in collaboration with the opening of the Vitality Wellness Club last week.

While K2 Roots offers an expanded menu at the new location with familiar favorites like salads, sandwiches, paninis, juice and Rothrock coffee, the Vitality Wellness Club pampers State College with health offerings such as saunas, hyperbaric oxygen chamber therapy, cold baths, Kaqun water therapy, red light therapy, compression therapy, lymphatic drainage therapy and a bike boutique.

“We’re not trying to replace medical supplies, but (Taylor and Dake) are superhuman,” said Amanda Werner, sales and marketing specialist for Vitality Wellness Club. “They just believe in the power of ancient, natural medicine.”

The Vitality Wellness Club concept was inspired by Remedy Place in New York City, which aims to improve health and wellness through human connection and self-care. During their time at Remedy Place, Taylor and Dake decided to create their own version of the club a little closer to home.

Housed in the former Bar Bleu location on South Garner Street, K2 Roots and Vitality Wellness Club serve as a “one-stop health shop,” with all K2 Roots activities located upstairs and space for relaxation and rejuvenation provided by the Vitality Wellness Club downstairs.

In the wellness club’s bespoke sauna, users can experience the benefits of heat exposure between 170°C and 180°C for the immune system, cardiovascular system and mental health in a group or private session. In addition, they can immerse themselves in cold water (50°C) to reduce stress and inflammation and increase energy levels.

Kaqun water therapy, or cocoon water therapy, is a 50-minute bath that delivers targeted oxygen and relaxation to cells while improving mitochondrial production and skin health. Vitality Wellness Club’s Kaqun water therapy device is only the third cocoon bath in the United States, after New York and Las Vegas, while also adding to the State College health scene.

In addition to other services such as hyperbaric chamber therapy and a lymphatic drainage suit, the Vitality Wellness Club aims to encourage people from all walks of life to enjoy its amenities – from Penn Staters to IRONMAN competitors.

“Of course we want college students,” Werner said. “You’re already downtown, and you’re definitely going to come to K2 Roots. What other coffee shop is open until 9 a.m.? We just want it to be a really cool hangout for (college students), and I feel like the college age group has really become healthy and focused on health.”

And as the IRONMAN 70.3 Pennsylvania Happy Valley prepares to take over State College this weekend, the wellness club is offering free cold baths to anyone who shows their bib number at the conclusion of the event.

K2 Roots and Vitality Wellness Club will hold their grand opening during Arts Fest from July 11-14, temporarily opening daily from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. until then. All of Vitality Wellness Club’s services can be enjoyed in a single, streamlined session or as daily and monthly packages. The club’s boutique cycling studio will begin operations after the grand opening and is set to become one of the “hottest spots in town.”

“(Taylor and Dake’s) whole world revolves around healthy living,” Werner said. “We hope to be a good influence, and instead of the kids going out all the time and spending $100 on the bar bill, they come here and spend an afternoon with us. We really want to be positive and healthy.”