CHICAGO — In the true spirit of entrepreneurship, Laundromat owners and operators are always thinking of ways they can grow business, both from an operational and financial standpoint.
While some operators offer extra services within the parameters of the industry—like wash-and-fold and dry cleaning—others have ventured outside the box and have sought unique ways to bring customers through the door.
EAT. DRINK. DO LAUNDRY.
A quick, 5-minute drive outside the main campus of Texas A&M University has led college students and locals alike to a place where they can “Eat. Drink. Do Laundry.”
Located at 1802 Texas Ave. South in College Station, Texas, Harvey Washbangers has been serving suds both in its Laundromat and bar/restaurant since 1998, according to Phyllis Lair, who co-owns the establishment with husband, Pete, and son, Michael, general manager.
Michael Lair got his start at the company 12 years ago as the kitchen manager while attending Texas A&M, but later left his post to attend culinary school.
The first Harvey Washbangers was situated in Nashville, Tenn., according to Phyllis, who officially took over the College Station franchise location in 1999, after its original owners walked away from the business.
A handful of other franchise locations had opened in the South and West Coast, she says, but the operations never took off and have since closed.
“It just seemed like a good, solid concept,” says Phyllis. “To us, there was a need there, obviously, for a laundry. And then, what else do you do during laundry? You need something to do [so] we provide a full-service restaurant.”
TWO-IN-ONE
Operations are split “half and half” inside the 4,500-square-foot facility, says Phyllis, who manages the Laundromat side of the business.
“There are two separate entry doors; there’s one that takes you directly into the restaurant, there’s one that takes you into the laundry, and there is a connecting door [inside],” she says.
The fully cashless Laundromat houses 40 washers and 40 dryers, and is attended from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. Wash-and-fold, drycleaning service (contracted and done off-site), and laundry supply vending machines make up the Laundromat’s other ancillary services.
A morning and evening attendant make up the Laundromat’s staff, while the restaurant employs three servers and three cooks, according to Phyllis.
“These two have never been divided; it’s lumped together,” she says. “When I do payroll, I’m paying both sides.”
“I’m not sure one person can do this, because it’s multifaceted,” adds Phyllis, who gives a lot of credit to her son, who came back to help manage the restaurant side in January 2012.
“He really put the final twist to it and the restaurant has taken off even more,” she says.
“This was an eye-opening experience,” says Michael. “The amount of complexity involved in a full-service restaurant with all the things that could go wrong there, paired up with a full-service Laundromat … was a level of complexity I couldn’t have dreamed of.”
Check back Tuesday for Part 2!
Have a question or comment? E-mail our editor Bruce Beggs at [email protected].