New laundromat owners will pick up your dirty laundry, wash it and bring it back folded
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Do you want to know what’s happening in the eastern Idaho business scene? We’ve got you covered. Here is a rundown of this week’s business news across the valley.
BIZ BUZZ
IDAHO FALLS
Get your laundry washed and folded with new pick up and delivery service in Idaho Falls
IDAHO FALLS – When Nicholas Rebmann and Deanna McKellip bought Teton Cleaners & Laundry in Idaho Falls, they thought it would give them a passive income.
Since buying the 40-year-old dry cleaning and laundromat business at 1658 1st Street in June 2022, the couple has invested half a million dollars for renovations, new washers and Rebmann puts in 17 hours daily.
“I can’t afford an employee for this laundromat right now, so I’m here 16 and a half hours to 18 hours a day seven days a week,” Rebmann tells EastIdahoNews.com. “I want people taken care of when they’re here so I’m taking that responsibility until we can afford to move on.”
Another reason for the long hours is due to a new service they’ve added, which could be described as the Uber of laundry service. They have an app where customers sign up for their laundry to be picked up at their house, washed, folded and returned. See how it works in the video above.
This part of the business launched at the beginning of March and Rebmann says it’s become popular for certain types of customers.
“If you broke your ankle and can’t drive, you can get a subscription for six weeks until it heals,” says McKellip. “A lot of people experiencing tragedy … are too overwhelmed to do laundry. We can take care of it for them.”
Owning a laundromat is a dream come true for Rebmann. He and his wife opened a selfie studio in 2021 that ultimately failed.
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Its closure couldn’t crush their entrepreneurial spirit and when they saw an ad for the sale of Teton Cleaning and Laundry, they thought it was a good opportunity.
Though the effort has gone beyond what Rebmann initially thought it would take, he has no regrets about it.
“We have to set our expectations and know them before we have someone else come in and do it,” McKellip explains.
Rebmann enjoys the interaction with customers and he’s seen an uptick in positive Google reviews since they’ve taken over.
“We’re (raising) the bar to make sure this place succeeds,” he says.
They plan to eventually be open 24 hours a day.
McKellip’s ultimate desire with this venture is to “help the community and make it better.”
Hygiene and security are core needs for every person, McKellip says, and it’s an area that has no government services for those in need. She’d like to help on that front by providing hygiene packs and open the laundromat one day a week for people to wash their laundry at no charge.
“The ultimate expansion is to be able to get enough business in order to give back,” says Rebmann.
The dry cleaning service is right next door to the laundromat on 1st Street. A second location is at 1739 West Broadway. A second laundromat is at 3329 East 17th Street in Ammon.
To download the app or learn more, click here.
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