Laundromats can be many things. A place to wash garments and bedding, a space that can bring together and support local communities. But what about a bar? Long time readers might remember some of our previous spotlights on unique laundromats. We covered the Golden Goose store, which features an array of machines to distress your fancy sneakers (seriously, you can read more about it here). We've also seen the "Launderette of Dreams", an art exhibition which explores the idea that laundromats are a place for community, play, and shared experience (read more). However, we recently learned about of a new style of laundromat that really pushes the boundaries...
"Bar of Soap" in Asheville, N.C. in the United States of America has transformed a humble laundromat into a vibrant destination. Bar of Soap has everything you could ever want: a drop-off laundry service, over 80 different craft beers, and an Italian restaurant which serves pizza and sandwiches.
By integrating more than one service into their laundromat, Bar of Soap have expanded their customer base to create huge potential to upsell anyone who walks in the door!
Looking for a coffee? Why not kill two birds with one stone and do some laundry?
Need to do your laundry? Why not have a coffee while you wait!
Sounds fantastic right? A dual venture like this has heaps of potential, but you can't just set one up anywhere.
Like our distributors say: location is critical for your laundromats success. Sean McNeal, the owner, spent a year looking for the perfect location. His search was further complicated by the fact that his site needed a commercial kitchen, as well as having to be located near high density rental housing.
This isn't the first time food, beer and laundromats have been tried. In America Duds 'n Suds was a popular chain in the 1980's which gave laundromat users and opportunity to have a beer and watch some sport. Combining more services within your laundromat can really be a genius idea, if you are willing to put in the effort to pull it off. It can draw a greater number of people in your door, and you can use the incomes of both businesses to support each other during slower months. Below is an image of a laundromat in Auckland, New Zealand. Why not have a donut while doing your laundry?
Of course, ventures like this do have drawbacks, and the most significant one is simply the extra complexity of running two businesses instead of one. A solo laundromat can be fairly self sufficient, but running a hospitality business can be much more work.
You should also consider the demographic factors like socioeconomic status of your areas before committing to this sort of venture. Young renting professionals might love the idea of getting a coffee in their laundromat, whereas a family who are struggling to make ends meet might be turned off your laundromat-bistro concept.
Not sure how to find information about potential locations? Read how our local distributors can help.
As a current (or future) laundromat owner, what should you do with all this? Simple. Don't be afraid to try something different and unique! A laundromat doesn't just have to be a space where people just go to do laundry, and making into more than that could make your business more successful!
Source: https://money.cnn.com/2014/04/17/smallbusiness/laundromat-cafe/index.html