Barbara Lawlor, Nederland. From sweets to soapsuds.
Dan Harrower, owner of the Candy Man shop in the upper bays of the shopping center, is the new owner of The Laundry Room, Nederland’s only coin-operated laundromat. Although he is new to the world of washing machines and dryers, he is not new to the world of business, of taking a floundering shop and rejuvenating it.
Two years ago in March, Harrower began a new chapter in his life. Tired of the corporate world and wanting to work where he lived, he opened up the Candy Man shop, the purple and white striped, sugar-based emporium where he and his daughters have had a good time running the business that is all about smiles.
And then the laundromat was available.
“I don’t know how this happened,” says Harrower. “I bought a place that needs a lot of help. But I know people use this facility a lot and it seems a shame to have it go away.”
Harrower looked around the bare walls and the scuffed up floor, saying “I want to give it a personality, I want people to be able to rely on it being open. There is nothing I like better than to turn a place around, give it new life.”
Customer Danielle Grouse switched her blankets from the washer to the dryer and said she used to use the laundromat every week. Now that she has access to her own machines, she uses the laundry for her large items.
Harrower already has the customers. Now he has to begin the makeover process. One of the first things he is going to do is remove the landmark painting on the wall. It is not a painting hanging on the wall, it is actually painted on the wall. It is a colorful mountain scene with a woman hanging out laundry in front of a mountain backdrop. A child is flying a kite, another child is floating down the river while a deer peers out from behind a pine tree.
It is a lovely painting but Harrower says it will have to go and invites anyone who wants it to come and cut it out of the sheet rock it is painted on.
The previous owner of the laundry left on September 30, selling the business to shopping center owner Stephen Tebo.
When property manager Barbara Hardt took over the task of finding someone to own the business, she approached Harrower. He went online, did his research and learned that there are 7,000 laundromats in the country. They are a staple in our lives. “People need clean clothiers. Also this is a long term business prospect and I am glad to give Nederland a service it needs. Now it needs a face lift.”
Among the amenities Harrower intends to add to the business are: Wifi and a television. He’s even thinking of offering Free Soap Fridays. “This is loads of fun,” he quips. “We have a dryer sense of humor.”
Harrower has always liked mechanical things, machines and how they work, and anticipates the repairs. He wants a clean environment and a safe place where people can leave and know their laundry is safe. The bathroom will be available, not locked. He figures 25-30 people use the facility on a daily basis.
Renovating an old laundromat is far less expensive than starting a new one because of the sewer hookup costs. In the past month, Harrower has been taking home the quarters from the machines and analyzing what is used the most and what is not, determining the demand.
One of the most time consuming chores involves the change machines, making sure there are enough quarters and then counting the quarters at the end of the day.
Harrower plans to buy new machines that take debit/credit cards and retro fit the ones that will stay. There will be a wash and fold service as well as a drop off dry cleaning service in place by the spring. He’s hoping to entice local commercial businesses to have their uniforms cleaned there.
There were 38 machines in the business with a dozen that didn’t work, but he will fix all that, saying he will be running back and forth from business to business throughout the day.
The Laundry Room will be closed down from Dec. 8 to Dec. 10 during the cleaning, painting, and environmental upgrade, and then closed again when the new machines are being installed in early January.
Harrower says he has been pleasantly surprised by customers who have been very supportive.
He plans to be open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. every day but Sunday when he closes at 6 p.m.
