Inside the Plaza Midwood house that's become a one-stop wellness hub
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Pictured outside the Plaza Midwood wellness house, from left: Andrew Oliver, intern at James Clinical Research; Jay Ferguson, owner of James Clinical Research; Margaret Donovan, owner of Rising Tea & Alchemy; Amanda Huffman, clinical liaison at Priority Care; Stephanie Phillips, founder of Stuck Is Temporary; and Dr. Melissa Jones, founder of Priority Care. Photo: McKenzie Rankin/Axios
A small house in Plaza Midwood is becoming a one-stop wellness hub.
Why it matters: Step into the painted brick home tucked behind Supperland, and you'll find a tea house, a primary care doctor's office, a clinical research startup and a life coach all sharing the same space.
- It wasn't planned that way, but the businesses have naturally become a neighborhood wellness network.
Catch up quick: When Dr. Melissa Jones expanded her direct primary care practice, Priority Care, into the house on McClintock Road, she found herself with more space than she needed.
- Instead of leaving the offices empty, she started subleasing them this past spring to other mission-driven, local businesses.
- The result is a community-focused wellness ecosystem, where the four independent tenants regularly refer clients to one another and host workshops and events to support each other — and the neighborhood.
Between the lines: Most of the businesses inside are women-owned, adding to Plaza Midwood's growing network of locally-owned businesses led by women, including the cluster of Trope Bookshop, Wiloe Home & Gift and Plot Twist.
What's inside:
🍵 Rising Tea & Alchemy: Health coach Margaret Donovan opened her first brick-and-mortar tea house in March, serving mostly Chinese teas along with blends made by a local herbalist.
If you go: Anyone can stop in for tea, and the space has plenty of seating for those looking for a a place to read, work or catch up with a friend.
🧘 Stuck is Temporary: Stephanie Phillips knows burnout firsthand. After years in corporate America, she now helps clients through life coaching, declutter guidance, hypno-breathwork and somatic healing.
If you go: Phillips' clutter coaching isn't about organizing your closets but more about working through the emotions that make it hard to let things go, she tells Axios.
🩺 Priority Care: Jones left Atrium Health to open a membership-based primary care practice focused on longer appointments and getting to know patients over time.
If you go: Memberships cost $100 a month and can be paid with HSA or FSA funds.
🧪 James Clinical Research: Jay Ferguson runs a community-based research practice conducting studies on everything from vaccines to diabetes, obesity, gastrointestinal conditions and dermatology.
If you go: You can join James Clinical's patient network to be considered for future clinical trials here.
The intrigue: The businesses naturally overlap; it's not unusual for someone to come for one service and visit another before leaving, the founders tell Axios.
- For example, Jones sometimes refers eligible patients to James Clinical Research. Or, a client may grab tea before or after a session with Stuck Is Temporary.
The big picture: In a neighborhood where new development often brings more chains and private equity-backed businesses, this little house is proof that local businesses can still build something deeply rooted in community and collaboration.
If you go: You'll find all four businesses at 2132 McClintock Road.