She recently moved the business – a day spa and former bed and breakfast – from its place in a Victorian-style house on Jackson Street to the College Commons on Indianapolis Road across from Kroger. After the move, she renamed the business Mona Lisa’s Spa and Salon because the salon is no longer in its namesake house. 

Stonebreaker owned the Victorian Day Spa for eight years. Several years after buying it, she paid to have the house moved from its location near Domino’s over to 2.5 acres of commercially zoned land. She then renovated the house, and in 2006 she bought a second building from the University – then known as Seminary Street Bed and Breakfast – to add on, and increased the capacity of the building from four to seven rooms.

However, by the time Stonebreaker went through all of the state requirements concerning the start of her business, it “financially drained” her, she said.

“I ended up losing everything that I worked so hard for and had to file bankruptcy on everything,” Stonebreaker said. “At this point I could have given up or continued pursuing my dream.”

Stonebreaker decided to open another salon and try again, this time focusing primarily on location and accessibility, because she thought her old business was “out of the way” for many clients.

While her new business no longer includes a bed and breakfast, it still offers a day spa and full-service hair salon where patrons can get massages, facials and waxes, as well as other services.

Stonebreaker is very optimistic. She believes the new location will definitely help business, mostly because of its highly visible location.

Although Mona Lisa’s Spa and Salon has only been open two weeks, Stonebreaker says she has already received “quite a few calls from DePauw students” and would love to have students come in.

“We are eager to serve the DePauw students,” Stonebreaker said.