Very preliminary but Hubbys talking of a Laundrymat

[petek]

Laundress thanks for the links... that laundry is a little out of the way from here about 2.5 hrs,pretty much Niagara Falls. The concept looks good though. Personally though I think I'd rather have an unattended type if I was going into it, just dropping in a few times a day rather than spending all day there. I haven't checked out the coin op websites yet..
I just don't think this little berg has enough people affluent enough that they are going to be sending out their laundry. Certainly there are quite a few upper and wealthy but not in the numbers me thinks.

 

[Cybrvanr]

I would make the place look as little like a laundromat as possible so that people will enjoy hanging out there. Put some sofas and chairs in there, a TV maybe and some carpeting. Install some sound deadening materials in there to subdue noise and make it more comfortable. I like some of the others' ideas to install things like espresso bars and stuff. I like the video arcade idea too. It would also be good to put in WiFi, especially if you are near a college. The idea here is to make the laundromat a nice place to hang out while your clothes are washing.

Another cool idea that I think is gaining ground is to have the machines connected to the internet. That way, prospective users can look on the web site and see how busy the place is before coming over to do their laundry. The internet connection would only be needed to see the time remaining and if the machine is in use or not.

We have a laundromat here that is both a bar and a live music venue. It's called the Lost Sock. It has become a hangout for VCU students outside of just using it to do laundry. While you are doing your laundry, you can come and have a drink and a sandwich, or on some evenings, listen to some music, mingle and chat with your friends. It has become quite popular and has a good reputation.

 

[frigilux]

Pete--- Here's an idea for your laundromat: Stock it with nothing but the coolest vintage washers. Then stand outside and act as the bouncer, only letting in people who can prove the appropriate level of appreciation for the washers they're about to use. Kinda like how you have to pass muster to get into cool, exclusive clubs.
You could set up a Detergent Bar and sell doses of vintage detergents...

Oh, wait; I suppose you actually want to turn a profit, don't you? Oh, well. It was an idea, anyway. And a damn good one if I may say so, myself, LOL!