Brooklyn laundromats are turning into hangout spaces
A growing trend in Brooklyn is transforming one of our most dreaded chores into an opportunity for connection.
Across the borough, entrepreneurs have been pairing laundromats with amenities such as bars, coffee shops, live music venues and hangout spots, hoping to make laundry day more enjoyable while creating a sense of community.
Improving your least favorite chore
At Pearl Lee's Washtub in Brooklyn, customers can do more than wash their clothes. The business combines a laundromat with a bar and entertainment venue, hosting monthly live music and comedy events.
"We had a customer move out of the neighborhood, and they had their going away parties here," said Kirk Kennedy, general manager of the family-owned business named after their matriarch.
Kennedy said the concept was designed to improve an experience that few people enjoy.
"The majority of people don't like doing the laundry. It's like the worst chore ever," he tells Brooklyn reporter Hannah Kliger. "To give ... our customer base an outlet to do something else without leaving the laundromat, that's our goal, to keep you here."
The concept resonates in New York City, where many residents live in apartments without in-unit washers and dryers and must leave home to do their laundry.
Park Slope resident Uma Mahto said the added amenities make the task more appealing.
"More compelled to sit here and work. Makes it easier to do laundry," Mahto said.
Do your laundry, have a latte
In Downtown Brooklyn, Laundry & Latte combines a laundromat with a coffee shop. Owner and founder J.R. Dumas said the idea came after he visited roughly 100 laundromats throughout the city and noticed opportunities to improve the customer experience.
"Laundromats ... still are operating with coin and nowhere to sit. And no customer service," he said, hoping to create a "third space" concept where people can meet over a cup of coffee.
The business is part of a larger trend washing over Brooklyn, with laundromats increasingly paired with gathering spaces designed to help customers make better use of their time while waiting for their clothes.
Brooklyn Heights resident Olivia Winck said the setup works well for those hoping to squeeze wash day into their lunch break.
"I have a remote job, so it makes sense for me to come, bring my laptop," she said.
"People coming here have a sense or feeling like they waste their time ... While they're waiting, having a coffee was something obvious to me that should go together with a laundromat," Dumas said.
A spin cycle, it seems, can also come with a side of community.
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