CHICAGO — Some have said that everything is bigger in Texas. The In and Out Wash, Dallas, Texas, is the 2007 Grand Prize winner in the annual Coin-Op Beautiful competition sponsored by American Coin-Op. It's a big coin laundry in a big state.The competition is open to all coin laundries, new and old, large and small. Five coin laundries have received top honors in this year's competition. From this group, the grand prize winner was selected.Nick Rizos is the owner of the In and Out Wash. The store is less than one year old, and Commercial Equipment Co., Dallas, served as the distributor.In and Out boasts 17,000 square feet of air-conditioned space. The card laundry has 182 machines, including a 125-pound washer. The free-standing building is attended and features a host of customer amenities including cable TV, automatic door entry, a children's play area, beverage bar and free Wi-Fi access.The other special honor washes are: * Laundry & Tan Connection, Indianapolis, Ind. Mike Gilley is the owner and Super Laundry is the distributor. * Duds N Suds, Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Clint and Lorie Landis are the owners and Century Laundry is the distributor. * Monroe Wash & Dry, Monroe, N.Y. Mark Baumgarten is the owner and HK Laundry Equipment is the distributor. * Wash Happenin, Snyder, Texas. Helen and Celia Feinsod are the owners and the distributor is Ed Brown Distributors.Fourteen stores also received honorable mention awards. Each of these stores are also first-rate. Any customer would be fortunate to have one of these stores nearby. Check out the January issue of American Coin-Op for a full listing of the honorable mention award winners as well as more pictures of the winning stores.The Coin-Op Beautiful judging takes several factors into consideration. The judges focus on the store's exterior as well as the interior layout. The judges also take into consideration color schemes, amenities and any unusual features that make the store stand out.American Coin-Op thanks everyone for taking part in this annual tradition. We know that it takes time to put an entry together. Our hope is that the winning stores will inspire many operators.Do you believe you have a winning coin laundry? Don't be shy. The next competition takes place in December. Give us a call.
Have a question or comment? E-mail our editor Bruce Beggs at [email protected].