apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Um - I can count at least 2 or 3 of this same concept that were/are open in San Francisco:

what an idea!

This totally reminds me of the laundromat in the movie "Secretary" with Maggie Gyllenhaal.

Nashville has place like this (although more bar than cafe) that's been around at least 10 years. It's called Harvey Washbangers. And I think it's a chain.

while standing around waiting in a kinko's, a friend pitched a similar concept. i think he should head up a kinko's design team because other than waiting for laundry, i can't think of a place that needs lounge chairs and coffee more than a kinko's.

I work at one of these in San Francisco. It's always a good ol' time with beer and live entertainment while you suds ur duds.

I've seen this place posted on other blogs, why do we not have one of these in Manhattan where nobody has their own laundry machines?

I want this for my laundry-mat. Anything to make laundry less of a drag...probably gonna require alcohol.

i had lunch at this place in copenhagen last month. great decor and amazing food as well. pretty hip staff as well....

I wish these kind of laundry places were more commonplace. There's no place more boring or depressing than your typical laundromat.

@ jacksonlalonde: There is (or used to be) a laundromat/cafe in the East Village. There were even live performances some nights, which was cool for the launderers but rather sad for the performers. I imagine the reason there are not more is that New York commercial rents have become so outrageous that only banks and Starbucks can afford to lease in attractive areas.

The one I used to go to in college was enormous and had a separate area with lots of couches and a tv, a snack bar, and a ton of pool tables. Made it painless to pass the time.

where the heck are these in sf? I've never heard of them, sounds awesome!

Craftypants, I know of two:

Brainwash in SOMA

Wash 'n Royal (as in the local Royal Grounds chain) on Fillmore and California

Neither is as nice as that one in Copenhagen looks, though.

Nicer is Little Hollywood Launderette, on Market and Laguna. They have great attendants and magazines, and Orbit Room Cafe is next door.

@Jesse: I love Brainwash! Drinking beer while doing laundry..can't think of a better way to get chores done! : )

"where the heck are these in sf?"

BrainWash - in SOMA

There's also one on the corner of California and Fillmore - The Royal Ground is linked to the Laundromat next door.

My laundromat here in Chicago offers nachos and popcorn, but the best part is a super duper sound system that they play all the time. It is like a dance club! Also free wifi and free dry.......

Even with these perks, I have to say that, due to a post here on AT, I just bought one of these LG ventless washer/dryer combos. It was a little pricy, but basically I pre-paid my laundromat dues for a year and a half. (And I now control the music.) Hooks up to the sink, plugs into the wall, and tucks right into the corner of my kitchen. I love it!

http://www1.epinions.com/prices/LG_WM3431HW_Washer_Dryer_Combo_1

I saw the one in Norrebro on Samantha Brown-Europe(Travel Channel) while back and felt in love with it.

Great idea and very stylish!

Can some entrepreneur get a chain of similar laundromats started in NYC? I washed my clothes in what is the now posh Park Slope neighborhood and it was always the downer of the week. The only thing that made it tolerable was going to the Irish gang-controlled bar (Westies members who beat the rap) next door and drinking. That wasn't much more pleasant, except for the unusually cute Irish bartender.

The only other laundromat in Park Slope was staffed by eccentric Russian immigrants, one who shouted all the time. All of the staff seemed straight out of a Dostoevsky novel. That's fine, but you really don't need to hear non-stop gravelly shouting in Russian when you do your laundry.

If you're going to pay NYC rents for a laundromat, why not maximum the bang for the buck by making them nice and putting in a pleasant coffee bar? Is the guy who founded Starbucks paying attention? Is anyone with capital paying attention? I know the recession has hit Starbucks hard. Here's a concept to start a new chain and (literally) clean up.

There is one of these in Newington, CT. It's called the Spin Cycle Cafe. They have regular and commercial size machines, a decent cafe menu, free wifi, and they serve drinks. It's always been very clean, staffed by friendly staff.

I go when I need to use a commercial size machine. Definitely worth while.

It's as if the idea has been seen before but, somehow, the design here is much nicer. I might pass by this, since, according to the menu card on their site, the prices are pretty reasonable, hoping its a good alternative to Starbucks (since we don't have one in Denmark. wait, there is 1-at the airport)

Interesting, I'm surprised that there is a laundromat in Denmark, since neither Norway nor Sweden have any that I can remember seeing (everyone has their own machine or their building has a laundry room).

In Cicero or Berwyn (IL, obviously) there was what was billed as the worlds largest laundromat, which had a series of Three's Company vintage rooms (all near an old German restaurant looking place) with foil wallpaper etc, the Washing Well (local Chicago launderette chain) has nothing on that place.

I had the idea to start a place like this a few years ago, but the rents were really high. They might be a bit more reasonable now, hmmm....

I guess the guy behind the two Laundromats in Copenhagen got the idea when he moved to Denmark and realized that people had to go out of their home to do their washing (he's Icelandic where everyone has a machine in their home). Anyway, it's a cracking idea to wash down a pint while watching your nickers doing the rounds ;)

New Orleans has a few bars with laundry machines: Buddha Belly, Igor's and Lucky's.

Terrific concept, although after a few cocktails, one doesn't really feel like folding sheets...