Top Tips for Buying & Running a Successful Laundromat: Lessons from Kate and George Wolfe
Thinking about buying a laundromat or leveling up your existing laundry business? Episode 232 of the Laundromat Resource Podcast with Kate and George Wolfe is packed with practical tips, real-life advice, and smart strategies. The Wolfes are transparent about their journey—from purchasing their first laundromat with little upfront cash to turning around struggling stores, increasing revenue, and building a loyal customer base.
Here are the key takeaways from their story—each with actionable steps you can implement right away, whether you’re on the hunt for your first laundromat or are a current owner ready to scale!
1. Build Relationships with a Great Distributor
Why it matters:
As George Wolfe and Kate Wolfe emphasize, your equipment distributor is a cornerstone of your laundromat’s success. A reliable, responsive distributor helps you source machines, troubleshoot issues, and access parts quickly—key for uptime and customer satisfaction.
Practical Application:
Interview multiple distributors before purchasing equipment.
Ask about response times, support for repairs, and flexibility in ordering parts.
Establish clear communication lines (phone, email, text)—test their willingness before you commit.
Build a relationship: Your distributor should feel like part of your team, not just a vendor.
2. Don’t Underestimate the Power of a Deep Clean and Quick Wins
Why it matters:
The Wolfes took over outdated, run-down laundromats and doubled revenue simply through deep cleaning, painting, repairing, and lighting improvements before doing major upgrades. Most customers just want a clean, safe, well-lit space.
Practical Application:
Immediately after acquisition, walk the entire space. Identify graffiti, broken furniture, dirty machines, and lighting issues.
Schedule a “grand reopening” cleaning session—scrub everything (floors, soap trays, walls), repaint, and fix light fixtures.
Update or add visible “Under New Ownership” signage to invite former customers back.
Small touches—new chairs, mops and brooms for customers, working TVs—build instant goodwill and trust.
3. Invest in Security and Actively Manage Your Reputation
Why it matters:
A laundromat’s reputation is often the toughest thing to fix if the previous owner let standards slide. Kate Wolfe and George Wolfe described how they eliminated loitering and restored customer confidence with security cameras, two-way communication, and active presence.
Practical Application:
Install visible security cameras that cover all areas, with backups and remote access.
Use two-way audio to address unwanted behavior in real time.
If needed, lock doors remotely to control access.
Monitor reputation by reading and responding to reviews, and having face-to-face conversations with customers.
Remember: It can take months to restore a tarnished local image, but proactive management shortens the timeline.
4. Make Customer Service Your Competitive Advantage
Why it matters:
Many laundromat owners are absentee, and customers are used to being ignored. The Wolfes answer their phones, follow up quickly, and engage directly with people in their stores—even hiring their most active customers as employees!
Practical Application:
Clearly post your contact info in-store and on all signage.
Always answer or return calls from customers as fast as possible.
Solve small problems (lost quarters, machine jams) generously—give a bit more than you need to as a gesture of goodwill.
Ask for feedback directly: “Is there anything we can do to make your laundry experience better?”
Incentivize staff to go the extra mile (the Wolfes pay $5 for every Google review that mentions an employee by name!).
5. Get Creative with Financing—Let the Business Pay for Itself
Why it matters:
You don’t need a pile of cash saved to start. Kate Wolfe structured their deals using business loans, personal loans, and even leveraged HELOCs—always keeping their personal finances separate and using income from the business to pay expenses and finance growth.
Practical Application:
Be transparent with sellers about your buying position—many will work with you if you need time for financing.
Look for deals where you can “assume” existing loans (especially equipment loans with newer machines).
Keep your personal and business finances separate; use early profits for reinvestment, not personal spending.
Ask your accountant or bank how to structure deals creatively and legally.
6. Build and Promote a Strong, Stand-Out Brand
Why it matters:
A professional brand signals stability, care, and community presence. The Wolfes brainstormed a fun name, designed a memorable logo, added signage, branded shirts, and built their reputation store by store—they even have TikTok accounts!
Practical Application:
Name your business, don’t just call it “Laundromat.”
Design a unique, easy-to-recognize logo.
Use the logo and brand colors on signs, shirts, social media, benches, and bags.
Create a simple website and an active social presence—even before launching wash & fold services!
Promote Google reviews and incentivize referrals.
7. Expand Services Step by Step and Focus on Community Needs
Why it matters:
Rather than chasing rapid expansion, the Wolfes maximized the value in their existing locations, and only then looked to add services like wash-dry-fold and pickup & delivery. They studied their market and made incremental upgrades.
Practical Application:
Don’t rush into every new service. Start with self-serve, then layer in wash & fold, and only add pickup & delivery when operational basics are solid.
Use local insights (what do your customers ask for?) to decide which services to launch next.
Network at industry events and learn from others, but implement at a pace you can sustain.
8. Network Relentlessly—You’re Not Alone!
Why it matters:
Meeting other owners, attending conferences, and joining online groups helped the Wolfes shortcut their learning curve and build their confidence.
Practical Application:
Attend industry events, trade shows, local business meetups, and online Facebook groups (Wolfe recommends the Coin Laundry Association and laundry-centric groups).
Connect with peers for troubleshooting, referrals, and support.
If you’re a woman in the industry, join specialized groups like the Women’s Laundry Network or Lovely Ladies of Laundry for extra camaraderie and mentorship.
9. Stay Engaged & Active in Your Business
Why it matters:
Active ownership—being hands-on, learning repairs, and knowing your customers—propels a good store into a thriving local business. The Wolfes’ presence is part of the brand DNA.
Practical Application:
Learn basic machine maintenance (or team up with someone who does).
Visit your store regularly, even if you have employees.
Greet customers, remember their names, ask about their families, and build relationships—the small-town touch goes a long way!
Delegate tasks like cleaning as you grow, so you can focus on higher-value activities.
10. Default to Action—Don’t Get Stuck in Analysis Mode
Why it matters:
The Wolfes’ story is one of “jumping in”—taking decisive action on deals, upgrades, and even hiring, learning and iterating as they went.
Practical Application:
Don’t wait for perfect information—get enough to move, then correct course as needed.
When you’re considering a new line of service (wash & fold, pickup & delivery), set a launch date and work backwards.
Build momentum by stacking small wins—consistent action leads to big results over time.
Final Thoughts
If you’re dreaming of business ownership or trying to grow your laundromat, take these practical, battle-tested tips from the Wolfes to heart. Start with what you have, focus on your community, and keep learning as you go.
Ready to take the next step?
Get out there, connect with other owners, learn, and—most importantly—put these tips into action.
Like this article? Share it with a fellow laundromat owner or join the community at Laundromat Resource for more actionable tips every week!
Inspired by Kate Wolfe and George Wolfe’s appearance on the Laundromat Resource Podcast, Episode 232.
