Washing machines hum in the background as customers at Pearl Lee’s Washtub in Crown Heights sip beer, work on laptops and eat on the patio, waiting for spin cycles to finish. It’s a Tuesday afternoon, and what started as a laundry run has turned into an impromptu neighborhood gathering — exactly what the owner Theo DuPree envisioned when he opened his “laundrobar.”
Brooklyn’s laundromats have long served as informal neighborhood gathering spots, particularly in areas where in-unit washers and dryers are rare. Now, a new generation of entrepreneurs is reimagining the utilitarian businesses as hybrid community hubs. Laundromat owners are transforming the traditional self-service and wash-and-fold models by adding bars, coffee counters and snacks, maximizing revenue from limited square footage and turning the chore into a social experience.
Mr. DuPree worked as a nurse for 30 years while running barbecue pop-ups at Brooklyn bars on the weekends. After retiring, he traveled to Europe and saw laundromats next to wine bars, an observation that redirected his trajectory.
The laundromat, which opened in April 2023, was named after Mr. DuPree’s Aunt Pearl, who “prepared our meals and laundered our clothes.” Inside Pearl Lee’s, patrons can do their laundry in the front area and then mingle at the bar in the back while they wait for their wash and dry cycles to finish. Pearl Lee’s also hosts live jazz, comedy shows, watch parties and barbecue pop-ups.
As a Black business owner, Mr. DuPree wants to inspire other people of color to open businesses. “Maintaining a Black-owned business in Crown Heights helps maintain the culture of the community,” he said.
The philosophy of maintaining neighborhood character while innovating the traditional laundromat model is shared by other Brooklyn entrepreneurs. In March, Jean-Roch Dumas opened Laundry & Latte, a laundromat-coffee shop hybrid in Brooklyn Heights, taking over a laundromat that had been operating for more than 30 years. He kept the original flooring and deep cleaned the machines adding the option to pay by card.
Mr. Dumas was also a laundromat rookie, looking to open his own business after working as a consultant at Deloitte for 20 years. After his girlfriend recommended that he look into laundromats, he visited 100 spaces and conducted research because he’s always had in-unit laundry. After two days, he knew he wanted to open a laundromat that served coffee. He’s so confident in his concept, he signed an 18-year lease with the property owner.
Dual-purpose laundromats aren’t new to Brooklyn, but they’re exploding in popularity. Sunshine Laundromat in the Greenpoint neighborhood of Brooklyn paved the way more than 10 years ago, functioning as a laundromat during the day and a speakeasy at night.
At Launderette in Williamsburg, which opened in January, locals stop by for drinks, like Poppi, sold alongside a selection of snacks.
Ireland McCaughey and her Launderette co-founder, Ben Razin, met at work in 2022 when Ms. McCaughey worked in medical sales and Mr. Razin worked in investment management. They bonded over their entrepreneurial dreams and left their jobs to start a marketing company together. After about two years, they craved new opportunities and began discussing their next moves.
“Laundromats had been on our radar early on,” Ms. McCaughey said.” There’s a huge need for them in New York City, but we also saw that many were falling short,” she said, referring to a lack of seating, outdated equipment and “a complete lack of branding and customer connection.”
With gentrification often raising fears of pricing out longtime residents, these new laundromats are defying that trend.
Launderette, for example, keeps food and beverage prices under $5, and charges $3.50 to wash a medium load of laundry. Janet Barnes, a 70-year-old Williamsburg resident of more than 30 years, called it “an asset to the community.”
Customer reactions to these businesses have been largely positive: If New Yorkers must spend hours waiting for their laundry, they want that time to feel worthwhile. “It’s no longer just about clean clothes,” Ms. McCaughey said. “It’s about how that experience fits into your life.”
The multipurpose laundromats also represent an innovative response to Brooklyn’s tumultuous real estate market. Small business owners are working to squeeze every dollar out of their square footage as commercial rents in neighborhoods like Brooklyn Heights and Williamsburg force many small businesses to close or reinvent themselves. In Williamsburg, one business owner reported a 300 percent rent increase from her 2008 rent, and Brooklyn Heights continues to experience a retail revival.
Mr. DuPree purchased his building, evading the pressure of high rents, and he’s finding that his hybrid model is financially viable. At Pearl Lee’s, the bar generates slightly more revenue than the laundry services do.
But the regulatory challenges of combining businesses can be complex. When he applied for a liquor license, Mr. DuPree faced resistance from the Crown Heights community board, which voiced concerns about children being exposed to alcohol while their parents did laundry. “I asked the community board to look at my business as a family-oriented business that happens to serve alcohol, like bowling alleys, Chuck E. Cheese or Dave & Buster’s,” he said.
After board members visited Pearl Lee’s, Mr. DuPree’s license renewal faced no opposition, but the operation requires careful choreography. Mr. DuPree tells customers that the bar is the waiting room until machines become available. During indoor events, the last wash is at 5 p.m. instead of 9 p.m., while patio events allow for full laundry service.
The hybrid laundromats also help patrons unglue themselves from their phones and bond with neighbors, all while getting the necessary chore done.
“Before Pearl Lee’s opened up, my routine was usually to put off laundry for two weeks, pile it into a cart and slog through the arduous process,” Jess Rickards, a 40-year-old Crown Heights resident, said. Now, she makes up excuses to do laundry so she can chat with neighbors and Pearl Lee’s staff.
As Mr. DuPree explained, “Laundry is a task that we all must do. Why not make it fun?”
The post Dirty Clothes, Clean Fun:
These Laundromats Aren’t Just for Laundry appeared first on New York Times.
