LINCOLN HEIGHTS, Calif. — A variety of vended laundry projects are completed around the country each year, resulting in brand-new or rejuvenated stores primed and ready to serve customers.
To celebrate the effort that goes into designing, building and equipping today’s modern self-service laundry, American Coin-Op created this Portraits of Success feature to recognize memorable projects of recent vintage.
And so equipment manufacturers were invited to tout their brand’s latest noteworthy vended laundry projects. Here is a story that was shared by Speed Queen, an Alliance Laundry Systems brand:
Lavanderia is the newest self-service laundry opened by Edgar Gamiz and co-owner Juan Galvan. The Lincoln Heights store covering 2,700 square feet caters only to self-service customers at present.
A favorable long-term lease was signed in March 2022, and Lavanderia opened for business in January 2023.
“Heavy retool” is the best way to describe the construction project, which included installing new water, electrical and gas lines. Distributor Alliance Laundry Systems West, assisted by BW Laundry Sales, found the location, negotiated the lease, consulted on the equipment mix and sold the laundry equipment and payment system chosen for the store.
The Lavanderia wash aisle is equipped with Speed Queen laundry equipment, including six Quantum Gold top loaders and 39 Quantum Touch washer-extractors (six 20-pounders, 11 30-pounders, 11 40-pounders, eight 60-pounders and three 80-pounders).
The store’s dryers also hail from Speed Queen: 14 30-pound Quantum Touch Stack Tumblers, eight 45-pound Quantum Touch Stack Tumblers and four 75-pound Quantum Single Tumblers.
The “why Speed Queen?” answer is firmly rooted in how Gamiz goes to market with his laundromats. His goal is, first and foremost, an exceptional customer experience.
“I want the laundromat to look like a palace,” he says. “I built this for the community and the customers take care of it.”
Other equipment and items incorporated within the project were 45 SpyderWash EMV card readers, two Triad changers, a Vend-Rite snack/drink/soap combo vender, four Rinnai tankless water heaters, a dozen security cameras with DVRs, five TVs, and 15 chrome laundry carts (five offer large capacity).
Overall project cost was less than $1 million, according to Gamiz.
He got his first view of laundromat ownership while working as an electrician, watching the owner empty cash out of the store’s bill changer. “Laundromats pull in that much cash?” he pondered then.
He convinced his wife they needed to sell their home—the couple had three young sons at the time—and buy a laundry. An all-cash purchase of an existing facility left no room for a major retool sans a few top loaders, so when he was handed the keys, he became owner and service manager. The equipment’s condition meant making daily trips to the parts store so he could make needed repairs.
But he kept at it and his work eventually contributed to him selling the store for twice his investment. Asked to consult on a new laundry in Burbank in 2017, it wasn’t long before the owner asked Gamiz to come on as a partner. Since then, he’s retooled seven more stores and currently co-owns six, including Lavanderia.
Through it all, he’s relied on the Alliance Laundry Systems West Region (formerly PWS) office and Sales Representative Yumi Ryoo.
“Yumi has been with me since day one,” says Gamiz, who has retooled eight stores backed by her guidance. The two are in lockstep when it comes to her knowing what he looks for in terms of demographics as well as store design. “When I call Yumi, I know she’s truly going to help.”
Their partnership extends into all areas, and Gamiz appreciates the one-stop shop element he gets with Alliance Laundry Systems Distribution, in terms of service, support, parts and finance.
“They’ve always been good to me; I don’t think I’ll be going anywhere,” he says.
Watch for more Portraits of Success profiles throughout December!
Have a question or comment? E-mail our editor Bruce Beggs at [email protected].
