Wellness Duo Began Friendship As UChicago Roommates

CHICAGO - Gameli Dekayie and Chantale Stephens-Archer, both doctors, have been best friends since they were roommates during the early 2000s while earning their undergrad degrees at the University of Chicago. It turns out many of the life lessons learned at the school have turned in to benefits for countless others at Quench Wellness, the new South Loop wellness studio the two opened at 1319 S. Michigan Ave. in July.

"At the U of C, we all needed to take courses that otherwise we wouldn't consider taking - like yoga and photography," Stephens-Archer said. "(The school) forces you to use another part of your brain, extend yourself and think outside of yourself."

The same concepts apply to the business model at Quench, which focuses on a variety of services including IV vitamin infusions, hormone replacement and vaginal laser therapy.

"Part of what we are selling is that mind-body connection, we allow your mind time to relax with zero gravity chairs," Chantal-Stephens said. "Everyone leaves their phone up front and comes in to relax."

In the "go-go days of social media," Chantal-Stephens says it's rewarding to see clients come in and unwind in a massage chair, unplugging from life for awhile.

Dekayie says she and Chantal-Stephens met before either decided to attend the U of C, on a personal study weekend at the university.

"Once we met and knew we both decided on the U of C, we knew we wanted to be roommates," she said. "And now, 18 years later, we have this business."

Dekayie, who to this day resides in Hyde Park, says her time at the university was a "game-changer."

"I found it not too hard to do well in high school, but then you get to the U of C and everyone is super smart and has so much going for them," she said. "It's where I found many of my best friends. There's a group of seven of us, all minority women, who met there and our bonds are still very strong."

For Dekayie and Stephens-Archer, their focus is on encouraging people to take self-care seriously on a daily basis.

"We fuel your body with the elements you need to thrive, not just survive," Stephens-Archer said. "Our services are natural and wholesome."

A Simple Wellness Tip

Dekayie and Stephens-Archer say the name of their business, "Quench," comes from the simplest of health tips, that being the importance of drinking water.

"Something as simple as that, making sure you drink enough water at home can give the body the nutrients it needs," Dekayie said. "Once you do more of that, you'll see fatigue drop and an improved mood."

Photo courtesy of Quench Wellness