Out With The Old, In With The New
The moment I walked into that laundromat, I was inspired.
Sun Brite Coin Laundry was the first laundromat I had ever been to; to be honest, I didn’t really look that hard for one. It had pretty old washers and dryers, no A/C, and it was open 24/7. To paint a picture, my Mom actually begged me to buy a washer and dryer, she was concerned that the laundromat wasn’t safe for me to be by myself. She was probably right, but I’m stubborn and I loved getting all of my laundry done in a couple hours. The laundromat had potential, all I could see is what I wanted to do to the space. I was broke, waiting tables and going to college, so I knew I couldn’t afford a laundromat… but I could start my business plan! To the drawing board I went… For 2 years.
In 2019, Ryan and I went on our first date and I told him that I wanted to own a laundromat, ‘Dirty Laundry’…
When I told other people I wanted a laundromat, I always got something like: “Why on Earth would you want a laundromat”? Ryan though? He said, “That sounds like a good investment, I’d invest in something like that”. In 2020, scrolling through Facebook we see the laundromat that inspired me to start my business plan! It’s for sale and they’re only asking $10k for the business. That July, we took a leap of faith in the middle of a world-wide pandemic and purchased what would be our first business venture together. In 2021, we opened the doors to RJ’s Dirty Laundry!
If only opening were that easy…
There was work to be done! After the landlords gave us the keys, operation: REMODEL began. Adding the A/C, the new grid and ceiling tiles, security system, the front desk (thanks, Dad!), metal walls, pallet wood accents, painting, painting, and more painting. After seven long months, the remodel was done enough to open the doors! We are still looking for ways to improve every day.
As of February 1, 2021, RJ’s Dirty laundry is a place where you can feel safe & comfortable doing your laundry!
