The success of a laundromat isn’t always a story told in the one-dimensional numbers on a profit and loss statement. The value of this business isn’t solely derived from turns per day or dollars in a changer. Sometimes an owner gets affirmation from converting a customer.
The success of a laundromat isn’t always a story told in the one-dimensional numbers on a profit and loss statement. The value of this business isn’t solely derived from turns per day or dollars in a changer. Sometimes an owner gets affirmation from converting a customer.
The Vision
Owner Erik Ward, who along with his wife Aislin Gerow and their friends, Katie and Seth Hensarling, hatched the idea for Turbo Laundry in Dallas, recounted one of those moments since the business opened in earlier of this year.
A female customer shared that she was “only here because my washer broke.” That’s not exactly what the owner of a recently opened laundry wants to hear. The follow-up comment, however, was validation that all the time and effort put in to creating the laundromat. Quickly, the conversation turned positive when she admitted since arriving at Turbo, she decided she wasn’t repairing the machine and they had her business.
You’d be challenged to find a cleaner, brighter, or more progressive laundromat in the Dallas area – heck, maybe the whole state of Texas – than Turbo Laundry.
That’s by design.
Entrepreneurs Love Company
The idea started with Erik, who was looking for another business to complement rentals and flipping houses. He investigated and everything was on the table… even pest control…before the idea of laundromats bubbled up.
After careful investigation, the laundromat “math” just seemed to work. But taking the cautious approach and seeking a second opinion is never a bad idea. So, Erik consulted with his coworker, Seth, who was into the same entrepreneurial endeavors. For Seth, too, the ROI numbers didn’t just “work,” they were downright attractive. And just like that, a business partnership was born – the couples were going into business together. “We had a vision, we all bought into it and now we have Turbo Laundry,” Seth said.
Atlas Delivers in the Clutch
The Turbo team checked out a competing brand before sitting down with Dallas-based Huebsch distributor Atlas Laundry Equipment. If the full service of the distributorship attracted them, the Huebsch equipment and technology sealed the deal. “We loved the look of the Huebsch equipment,” Erik said, adding that the technology “blew us away.” “Atlas just had a great design and it just seemed like a really good idea,” Katie added.
Working with Atlas had the added advantage of a one-stop shop for everything from layout, design, and demographics, to opening the door to Huebsch Finance, which definitely made a difference not just in making the store a reality, but also creating peace of mind the business had a strong plan.
“We could get the equipment and a little bit of money on top for the build out and we didn’t have to put anything down…what company would give newbies all of this equipment? So, that kind of gave us an extra boost of confidence,” Seth said. They loved the look of Huebsch so much, they “built the house around the furniture,” Erik joked of using the Huebsch color palette to drive the look and feel of the store. “We wanted it to be comfortable and homey…a Starbuck’s vibe,” Aislin said.
Key in all that was a great location and solid build out, and Atlas delivered on a high level. Turbo Laundry is situated in a high traffic area next to a convenience center. Construction was equally impressive, with the contractor heading off what could have been major issues with oddly placed utilities and wiring in the former liquor store. “Boy, did [Atlas] hit a home run with that,” Erik said of their choice of builder. Buildout included extra storage space behind dryers, and wide, easy access (and lit) bulkheads.
The focal point of the store is a “tile” wall adorned with the Turbo logo. Customers, however, are surprised to learn things are not always as they seem. Aislin was willing to share the secret. Creating the mosaic tile wall, while adding to the great atmosphere, would also have added significantly to the build-out costs. The answer was a high-resolution photo that she had made into wallpaper. The result is nothing short of amazing.
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Laundromat Store Profile
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Service That Sells
Erik, Aislin, Seth and Katie knew from the start their laundry would be next-level in its equipment, technology, and atmosphere, but that also carries through to their service as well. They have worked hard to ensure staff is as committed to the acme of customer service.
“We want to ‘wow’ them with our customer service,” Aislin said. That includes a kids play area with games, including giant Jenga and Connect Four sets. Sidewalk chalk also helps to keep children occupied, while the adults take care of the laundry in new Huebsch equipment. WIFI, a charging bar, and free popcorn add further to the customer experience. “It’s great to be able to provide the community with a place they can feel safe,” Katie said.
“It’s great to be able to provide the community with a place they can feel safe.”
Speaking of that equipment, Turbo offers a seemingly endless supply of options from single load washer-extractors up to 100-pound capacity. The laundry also gives customers a variety of payment methods – including coin, credit card and Huebsch app. In addition, the Huebsch app helps build rewards points to encourage customer loyalty, where the 10th wash is free.
Turbo also offers wash-dry-fold, commercial laundry service, and has a dry cleaning partnership with another business. They’ve also invested in the logistics/systems to provide pick up and drop off services but will wait on adding that option until the laundry is fully established.
A Love of Laundry
To a person, the Turbo ownership team has been surprised at just how much they have taken to the laundromat game. This affinity for the business, like the measurement of success, transcends dollars and cents. “I didn’t expect that I would enjoy it this much,” Aislin said, adding that even after spending 16 hours and the store, she and Erik will sit down with a glass of wine and talk about the laundry some more.
It’s a sentiment echoed by the entire team and has them, after just a few highly successful months, already looking to the future. “I don’t know why we can’t replicate this somewhere else,” Seth said of rapid expansion being not just on the table, but imminent, with Huebsch equipment and technology being key components to Turbo’s future.
To learn more about Turbo Laundry, visit www.turbo-laundry.com
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