Just south of downtown Grinnell, a painted window marks the home of Andrea’s Massages.
Licensed Massage Therapist Andrea Cooper Stajcar is the owner with over 11 years of massaging experience.
She said she first moved to Grinnell seven years ago before but just moved back from Bondurant, Iowa last year when she started working full time in Andrea’s Massages.
The business, located at 705 West Street, offers various services, including massages like sports massage, lymphatic drainage, prenatal and deep tissue, as well as aroma oils, warm towels and cupping.
Stajcar said she first got in contact with massages in nursing college.
“I could use it [massaging] with my nursing practice, and I got about halfway through that program before I fell in love with massage and decided not to go back to nursing school,” she said.
She then went on to get her education in massage from Indian Hills Community College in Ottumwa, Iowa.
Afterwards, Stajcar said she worked various massage and medical positions around Iowa.
As one enters Andrea’s Massages, they’re greeted by four paintings hanging on the walls.
“The paintings were a gift from a friend who came in here,” Stajcar said.
The massage room features a virtual chimney, towels and mood lighting.
“There’s not any one thing that I can take full credit in here for,” Stajcar said. “It’s been a collective group effort from people that I know and love and trust.”
“I strictly focus on comfort [and] relaxation,” she added. “Making sure people feel safe is my biggest thing. Sometimes being in a calm space helps make them feel safe.”
Stajcar said the reason she fell in love with massage therapy was “being able to recognize how much I was helping people in real time.”
“Sometimes, it’s the only relief these people get … it really makes a difference for them,” she added.
The main thing Stajcar said she focuses on with all her patients is the safety and trust exchanged between her and her patients.
“It takes a certain level of comfort and vulnerability to be able to feel like ‘oh, this random person’s gonna touch me,’” she said.
The process to book appointments is done fully online, prepaid, and services are all indoors with the entrance door locked.
“I think in terms of safety with massage, it has a double side,” she said. “There’s the side where I need to be able to provide a safe space for my patients, and then I also have to trust that they’re gonna provide a safe space for me.”
“What I’m worried about is making sure you get the massage that’s gonna help benefit you the most,” she added.
This article has been updated to correct the spelling of Andrea’s Massages. Updated on 9/19/2025.
