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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