Louisville Salt Cave, a meditation and wellness space, to reopen. Here's what to know

A local meditation and wellness center that announced its closure in early June will live on after new owners stepped in to buy the business.

Salt Wellness, an Oldham County company focused on holistic wellness, has purchased Louisville Salt Cave at 9800 Shelbyville Road.

"We are deeply committed to preserving this beloved sanctuary and are excited to continue serving our amazing community," Salt Wellness said in a Facebook post Thursday.

Salt Wellness is in the process of opening SALT in Crestwood, 6003 Pleasant Colony Court, Suite 4, with a planned opening in late August or early September.

Founder Nicole Bartlett opened Louisville Salt Cave in 2015, the city's first salt cave, as "a community space for spiritual and self-discovery."

In a Facebook post on June 3, Bartlett cited the pandemic and a lack of community education on the benefits of salt therapy, also known as halotherapy, as influences on her decision to close.

"I built a business that nobody had heard of in 2015," Bartlett told The Courier Journal in June. "So, for the past nine years, I've really spent my time educating [on] what halotherapy is, so there was that learning curve to start because we're a new industry."

Under its new ownership, the Louisville Salt Cave is expected to reopen the week of July 15 with the same staffing and services. Unexpired gift cards will be honored for the next 12 months.

Salt therapy which is said to benefit the immune system and ease symptoms of allergies, asthma, and skin disorders, among other health issues, the Courier Journal previously reported.

"We fully intend to keep the mission of the salt cave alive and create a space for sacred pause," reads the Facebook announcement on the Louisville Salt Cave page. "We believe in carrying on the vision that Nicole had when she built the Louisville Salt Cave. We hope that by learning to unplug and healing ourselves mentally, physically, and spiritually, we can create a better world outside."

Reach growth and development reporter Matthew Glowicki at mglowicki@courier-journal.com or 502-582-4000.