7 Essential Tips for Buying and Operating a Laundromat in 2026 – Insights from Laundromat Resource Podcast (Show #231)
Thinking about buying a laundromat or taking your existing business to the next level? The laundry industry is evolving fast, with technology, branding, and customer experience shaping modern success stories. We’ve mined top insights from Craig Taylor and Michelle Taylor, owners of Monster Laundry, and host Jordan Berry , on the Laundromat Resource Podcast – Show 231. Here’s your essential checklist to build, grow, and future-proof your laundromat.
1. Invest in Strong, Strategic Branding
Takeaway: Monster Laundry’s rapid growth is built on a bold name, memorable color scheme, and consistent branding.
Practical Application:
Choose a unique name and color palette that resonates locally (e.g., Monster Laundry’s purple connects with Sacramento Kings fans).
Work with local artists or designers for your logo and marketing materials.
Develop a branding guide to ensure consistency across all touchpoints: laundry bags, trucks, signage, receipts, uniforms, and digital presence.
Conduct customer surveys to test logos and colors before launching.
Why: A recognizable brand boosts word-of-mouth, customer loyalty, and differentiates you from generic competitors.
2. Prioritize Customer Experience and Cleanliness
Takeaway: Creating a welcoming, spotless environment fundamentally shifted Monster Laundry’s customer base and enabled family-friendly services.
Practical Application:
Hire and train attendants with clear expectations around customer service and cleaning—keep your business “so clean, it’s scary.”
Staff your location during all open hours to ensure immediate attention to spills, messes, or any customer needs.
Regularly deep clean and modernize your space to appeal to families and attract higher-value clientele.
Why: A clean, well-staffed laundromat turns occasional visitors into repeat customers and increases upsell opportunities for wash-and-fold services.
3. Systematize Staff Hiring, Training, and Retention
Takeaway: Monster Laundry’s staff structure, onboarding process, and culture-building made efficient scaling possible.
Practical Application:
Use platforms like Indeed for hiring, but prioritize referrals from current employees and the local community.
Require resumes and multi-stage interviews (with interviews from different team members) to assess culture fit and reliability.
Host mandatory quarterly staff meetings, offer food, share business growth stats, and encourage team buy-in.
Adopt the “quick to fire, slow to hire” approach to maintain high standards and team culture.
Why: The right team delivers consistent service, maintains cleanliness, and allows you to scale to new locations and services.
4. Embrace Technology and Automation (Including AI & Robotics)
Takeaway: The integration of tools like Curbside for logistics and “Sophie Swiftfold,” their folding robot, dramatically improved operational efficiency.
Practical Application:
Switch from pen-and-paper systems to digital management platforms for orders, chain of custody, and customer communications.
Consider piloting automation tools like folding robots to augment staff, especially for time-consuming chores like folding.
Document SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures) for every workflow and automate where possible—laundry, folding, logistics, and customer service.
Stay current with tech trends by attending industry conferences and following thought leaders.
Why: Automation saves money, increases throughput, reduces errors, and positions your business as an industry leader ready for the future.
5. Develop Multiple Revenue Streams and Upselling Opportunities
Takeaway: Monster Laundry exponentially grew pickup & delivery and expanded into commercial accounts, dry cleaning, and alterations.
Practical Application:
Convert drop-off customers into pickup & delivery by proactively offering the service and giving them branded bags and info cards.
Advertise “Free Pickup & Delivery” to encourage trial and adoption.
Network locally to attract commercial clients like hotels, gyms, and businesses in need of laundry services.
Cross-promote other services (alterations, dry cleaning) to every customer who visits.
Why: Diversification insulates your business against slow periods and maximizes every customer interaction’s potential.
6. Leverage Marketing Across Digital and Local Channels
Takeaway: Monster Laundry combined Google ads, social media, guerrilla marketing, and local PR for powerful growth.
Practical Application:
Use Google Ads to target searches for laundry services in your area.
Maintain a social media presence—TikTok, Instagram, Facebook—for showcasing your brand, tech investments, and customer stories.
Distribute flyers at local hotspots, collaborate with community groups, sponsor events, and network with other businesses.
Seek PR and local media coverage—highlight anything innovative about your laundromat (cleanliness, tech, community service).
Why: Multiple marketing channels reinforce brand exposure, generate referrals, and accelerate customer acquisition.
7. Build a Scalable Company, Not Just a ‘Small Business’
Takeaway: Treating operations professionally—quarterly reviews, management tiers, documented SOPs—enabled Monster Laundry’s expansion plans.
Practical Application:
Move past owner-operated “solopreneur” tactics and establish leadership positions and tiers.
Continually refine standard procedures, management reviews, and long-term planning.
Think toward multi-unit expansion with replicable processes and branding.
Why: Growth requires scalable systems and a leadership mindset—don’t get stuck “mopping the floors”; build a team and a company that can operate beyond you.
In Summary:
Buying or growing a laundromat today means more than fixing washers and collecting quarters. Take inspiration from innovators like Craig Taylor and Michelle Taylor: invest in branding, customer experience, tech, staff, marketing, and scalable systems to transform your laundromat into a thriving, future-proof company.
Interested in more actionable advice or connecting with industry leaders? Explore resources and coaching at LaundromatResource.com, and follow Monster Laundry’s journey on social media—plus catch their folding robot “Sophy Swiftfold” LIVE!
What tip will you implement in your laundromat business this week? Let us know your biggest challenge in the comments!
