CHICAGO — Commercial laundry equipment brand Speed Queen officially welcomed its flagship Speed Queen Laundry franchise store during a ribbon-cutting ceremony here Thursday.
The store—located at 6808 W. Grand Ave. on Chicago’s northwest side—boasts 12,250 square feet of space, and features washers with capacities ranging from a single load to 100 pounds and tumble dryers up to 45 pounds. All told, there are 266 pockets.
“We are beyond excited to introduce this flagship store to the Chicago market,” says ceremony participant Dan Bowe, general manager of North America franchising and retail operations for Speed Queen Laundry. “From its size and scale to the store’s bright aesthetics and touchscreen technology, this franchise model truly transcends the idea of what laundromats can be.”
Brothers Sanjay and Daxes Banit co-own the Grand Avenue franchise, which is offering a grand opening promotion: free wash through June 25. It was Sanjay who cut the ceremonial ribbon.
“We value our customers’ time and want to help them spend less time doing chores and more time with their families,” he says, entering laundromat ownership after amassing 30-plus years as a dry cleaner. “The size of our store provides numerous machine options, so you can wash more in less time.”
Touchscreen controls, app-based payment and rewards programs for frequent customers are all part of the cutting-edge technology on hand. The laundry also offers a full-service option, where customers drop off their laundry and pick it up washed, dried and folded.
The Banit brothers say the Speed Queen Laundry turnkey business model was “extremely attractive,” along with the technology that enables them to manage the business from afar while still tapping into the return on investment that laundromats offer new investors.
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