Tahir Kakar
Best Price Cleaners
Knightdale, N.C.
Before Getting into the Laundry Business…
With a background in medicine, Kakar came to the United States from Afghanistan in 2001. While in school to earn an American medical degree, he took a part-time job in the drycleaning industry. Since then, Kakar has opened five Best Price Cleaners locations throughout the Raleigh, N.C., area.
Store Opening
May 29, 2015
Business Hours
7:00 a.m. to midnight daily
Staff
Two part-time attendants
Total Square Footage
8,250 square feet
Parking Availability
60 parking spaces
Lease or Own?
Own
History of the Location
The building previously housed a Chinese restaurant and a daycare provider. Kakar purchased and renovated the building, of which half features a self-service laundry and half contains a drycleaning business.
The Renovation Process
It took six months and cost $1.2 million, excluding the purchase of the building.
Marketplace Demographics
- 40 percent African-American
- 40 percent Hispanic
- 20 percent Caucasian
Competition
There is one other self-service laundry within the market.
Payment Options
Coins
Washers and Dryers
15 Huebsch HCN020 20-pound frontloaders, $2.25
10 Huebsch HCN030 30-pound frontloaders, $3.25
10 Huebsch HCN040 40-pound frontloaders, $4.25
10 Huebsch HCN060 60-pound frontloaders, $6.25
8 Huebsch HCN080 80-pound frontloaders, $8.25
8 Huebsch HTT30 Galaxy 600 30-pound stack dryers
12 Huebsch HTT45 Galaxy 600 45-pound stack dryers
10 Huebsch HT075 Galaxy 600 75-pound dryers
Drycleaning Equipment
1 Union HL-860
1 Harmony wetcleaning system by Yamamoto
2 UniMac UT075 tumble dryers
1 UniMac UCN060 washer-extractor
1 Sankosha mushroom hot head press
2 Unipress hot head utility presses
1 Sankosha form finisher
1 Sankosha pant topper
1 Unipress pant legger
1 Unipress single head puff iron
1 Forenta vertical sleeve finisher
Water Heating System
HTP water heating system – two 190-gallon water heaters
Bill Changers
2 Standard Change-Makers bill changers
Laundry Carts
20 R&B Wire Products laundry carts
Folding Tables
20 Sol-O-Matic folding tables
Flooring
White ceramic tile
Lighting
LED lights
Soap Vending
1 Vend-Rite Manufacturing 12-slots soap vending machine, $1.00
Televisions
5 55-inch televisions
Children’s Play Area
An approximately 10- by 20-foot space, which features customized seats, play mats, toys and games
Wash-Dry-Fold Service
99 cents per pound; $1.25 per pound for loads under 10 pounds
Commercial Accounts Business
39 cents per pound; clients include cleaning services and hotels.
Drycleaning
$1.97 per item
Distributor
Consolidated Laundry Equipment Inc., Raleigh, N.C., (800) 227-6149
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