NAPLES, Fla. — Lapels, a Clean Brands™ franchise long associated with dry cleaning, is pushing into the laundromat sector with newly opened locations in East Boston, Massachusetts, and College Station, Texas.
Lapels Laundromat of East Boston is the first laundromat in the Lapels system, which the franchisor calls a significant step in evolving its business model.
Co-owners John Sullivan and Richard Vazza bring nearly 80 combined years of business experience to their franchise location. The store at 220 Border St. offers a suite of garment care services, including dry cleaning, wash-dry-fold (WDF), alterations, leather cleaning, wedding gown care, comforter cleaning, and pickup and delivery. It operates from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily.
Vazza, a veteran real estate professional, and Sullivan, a longtime auto dealership owner, have deep ties in the region and plan to develop additional laundromat locations across North, West, and South Boston.
“Regardless of where people come from or where they want to be, they all need convenient, reliable laundry services,” Sullivan says. Vazza notes that Lapels aligned with their values and offered a chance to expand on the brand’s Massachusetts roots.
Lapels Laundromat CEO Kevin DuBois says the model “is built today for tomorrow’s customer and offers garment cleaning in whatever form is easiest for the end user.”
Whereas the East Boston store is the first laundromat for the Lapels franchise, the College Station location is its first for Texas.
Lapels Laundromat of College Station is operated by the Mpamah family: Junior and Brandi, along with their children Tyrell, Tochi and Torri. The full-service garment care center at 2711 Texas Ave. South offers dry cleaning, WDF, bulk laundry, alterations, wedding gown care, comforter cleaning, and pickup and delivery throughout Bryan and College Station.
The Mpamahs leveraged two decades of professional experience — Junior in automotive sales and Brandi as a licensed practical nurse — to pursue family-focused business ownership. Tyrell oversees daily laundromat operations with support from his sisters.
“After 20 years in healthcare, I’ve learned the importance of service with a smile,” says Brandi. “We want to give back to our community and provide a trustworthy, friendly face in a much-needed industry.”
Junior adds that Lapels’ support structure made it clear “this was the right move for us.”
The Texas store offers seven-day-a-week service and weekly pickup and delivery routes as the Lapels brand broadens its reach in professional garment care.
Have a question or comment? E-mail our editor Bruce Beggs at [email protected].
