Today’s post features Jay Monchais, Viewing Room Manager of Saatva Washington DC (1714 14th St NW). We’d like to extend a huge thank you to Saatva for sponsoring this year’s Logan Circle Main Street Holiday Lights!
Tell us about your business!
Saatva is a luxury mattress company that’s been around for just about 11 years, selling primarily online. When I think of Saatva, I think of health, quality, and affordability. By health, I mean we’re so conscious of the materials we use. We’re very eco-friendly. We have a green initiative that we’re very consistent with. The quality of our mattresses speaks for itself—the response from our customer base has been phenomenal, in terms of how long they’ve had their mattresses. Finally, when it comes to affordability, we’re able to provide a great price for our American-made mattresses as opposed to some of our competitors, which typically tend to cost double.
What is unique about the Saatva store?
The Saatva Washington DC Viewing Room is an extension of our website. You walk in and you feel like you’re on the website, thanks to the interactive screens we have set up throughout the store. You have the option to look at our products, touch them, and talk to our in-person customer service team—but you can also use the monitors at the foot of each bed to learn more about each mattress to help you make your decision. It’s one of the most creative concepts I’ve seen in my 19 years working in retail. It’s just a different approach.
Can you share a little bit about your new products?
We’re very excited to have launched our Modern Foam Mattress recently. It provides another great alternative to a growing base of consumers who are looking for a terrific product without having to break the bank. Modern Foam was created to be a competitor to the many bed in a box mattresses on the market. It doesn’t come in a box—none of our mattresses do—but it really competes pricewise with those mattresses.
The holidays are quickly approaching. What kind of gifts can people pick up at your store?
Our pillows make for a quick, easy gift to give someone you care for. We offer three types of pillows to suit different sleep styles: latex, memory foam, and down alternative. Just recently, I had two clients come in who fell in love with the consistency of our memory foam pillow. They both said they were going to come back and purchase four or five of them to give as gifts. (Check out our Logan Circle Holiday Gift Guide for more local gift ideas!)
Switching gears a little bit: What are some of your places on 14th St?
14th St is really a mecca of culture. There are so many design and furniture stores up and down the street as well as small boutique shops you can pop into and have a great conversation with different people and hear their stories. I can’t single out just one business as my favorite—but from a food standpoint, I do love Barcelona Wine Bar. My wife and I have been there multiple times over the years. When you walk in, you feel like you’ve been transplanted to a different setting. You feel like you’re in Europe. It has a great atmosphere.
What are you looking forward to doing in DC this winter?
I’m excited about working in Logan Circle, being part of the community here, and helping out as much as possible. I also want to be more of a local tourist, which hasn’t been possible in the last couple of years due to the pandemic. It feels like the city is back. It feels very bubbly, like every neighborhood has garnered some new life.