Bryan J. Donegan
Laundry 24 / 24 Fitness
Evans Mills, N.Y.
Before Getting into the Laundry Business…
“I started out in the U.S. Marine Corps as an intelligence specialist with the 1st Battalion 9th Marines, including one tour in Afghanistan,” Donegan said. “After my discharge, I got into commercial land development and real estate with my family in northern and central New York. In my spare time, I’m a volunteer interior firefighter and the captain of the fire department’s dive rescue team.”
Store Opening
May 2021
Business Hours
The laundromat is open 24 hours.
Staff
Two part-time attendants
Total Square Footage
3,100 square feet for the laundromat, and another 5,800 square feet for the adjacent fitness center
Parking Availability
There are 157 total parking spaces. The facility is part of a combined parcel next to Donegan’s four-suite commercial plaza, with the fitness center in same building as the laundromat.
Lease or Own?
Donegan owns the building and the property.
The Renovation
The location had been a 9,100-square-foot standard stock Dollar General location. The renovation process took about six months.
The Pandemic’s Impact
“COVID-19 impacted this project entirely, in almost every single detail and aspect,” Donegan explained. “I was planning this business before the pandemic, and I had to re-attack every detail – construction, store design, business model and plan, employment, SOPs, SOGs, and so on. It was one of the most difficult challenges I’ve ever faced.”
Is There Anything You’d Do Differently?
“With regard to the development of this business and facility, I would’ve reused less materials from original Dollar General store,” Donegan noted. “I didn’t reuse a lot, but I definitely regret reusing the metal roof more than anything.
“Also, I wouldn’t undertake such a project again during a global health crisis, or during a labor and materials shortage. That made everything 1,000 times more difficult and stressful than it needed to be. However, as the saying goes: ‘God put some of the most rewarding and serene experiences on the other side of risk and fear.’”
Turns Per Day
1.7 turns per day on 65 machines
Utility Costs
The store’s utility costs currently represent approximately 11 percent of the business’ gross sales.
Marketplace Demographics
Within a five-mile radius of Laundry 24, the population is nearly 27,000, with 8,384 households. The median household income for the marketplace is just below $44,000 annually.
Competition
“There is a laundromat one village over, and two stores on the north side of the neighboring city,” Donegan said. “But, along the main drag that heads into the U.S. Army base at Fort Drum, this is the only laundromat, as well as the only gym.”
Payment Options
Quarters, dollar coins and the Speed Queen Quantum Touch payment system
Washers and Dryers
8 Speed Queen Quantum Touch 20-pound frontloaders, $3.00
7 Speed Queen Quantum Touch 30-pound frontloaders, $5.00
7 Speed Queen Quantum Touch 40-pound frontloaders, $7.00
6 Speed Queen Quantum Touch 60-pound frontloaders, $9.00
6 Speed Queen Quantum Touch 80-pound frontloaders, $12.00
26 Speed Queen Quantum Touch 45-pound stack dryers, 50 cents to start, and 25 cents for every additional five minutes
4 Speed Queen Quantum Touch 75-pound dryers, $1.00 to start, and 25 cents for every additional five minutes
Water Heating Systems
• Hamilton Engineering water heating system for the laundromat
• Navien tankless water heating system for the fitness center showers and mop sink
Bill Changer
1 Standard Change-Makers double-slot bill exchanger
Laundry Carts
12 R&B Wire Products laundry carts
Folding Tables
7 High Mark Manufacturing folding tables
Flooring
Laminate mock wood flooring
Lighting
LED bulbs
Detergent Vending
1 Vend-Rite Manufacturing eight-slot, single-box, wall-mounted vending machine
1 Wittern Model 3573, offering 10-ounce soap containers and single-serve boxes
Beverage and Snack Vending
1 Wittern Model 3589 combination vending machine
Televisions
3 55-inch televisions
13 40-inch televisions
4 55-inch televisions in the gym
Children’s Area
The corner of the store’s lounge area features a bookshelf dedicated to children’s books, as well as a table and chairs just for kids.
Additional Amenities
- Adjacent fitness center
- Air conditioning
- Restroom
- Customer lounge
- “Take-one-leave-one” book program
- Satellite TV package, with 23 channels
- In-store music
Wash-Dry-Fold Service
$1.99 per pound; 15-pound minimum
Also, Laundry 24 offers various monthly WDF plans, ranging from $99 to $199.
Laundry Distributor
Statewide Machinery, Batavia, N.Y., (585) 426-3870
