Business Bio: Wash on Western

Ross Dodds and Russel Pinkard
Wash on Western
Los Angeles, Calif.Before Getting into the Laundry Business…Dodds and Pinkard were involved in the business of wholesale and liquidation sales.Store OpeningDodds and Pinkard purchased the laundromat in December 2014. However, after six days of ownership, the restaurant next door to the laundry suffered a kitchen fire, which destroyed both the restaurant and the newly purchased laundromat. Wash on Western was reopened on January 1, 2017.Business Hours6:00 a.m. to midnight daily, with the last wash at 10:30 p.m.StaffThree full-time employees, one part-time attendant and two driversTotal Square FootageThe self-service laundry is 1,800 square feet. However, after the fire, Dodds and Pinkard took over the space next door, which is an additional 700 square feet and serves as the business’s wash-dry-fold area.Parking Availability16 parking spaceLease or Own?The store is on a 15-year lease with two five-year options.The BuildingWash on Western previously was an existing laundromat for 22 years.The Construction ProcessThe project took just over two years, and it cost approximately $550,000 to $600,000, including the equipment.Turns Per Day5Utility CostsUtility costs represent 15 percent of the business’s gross revenue.Competition“Los Angeles has a lot of laundries, but our closest newer competitor is one mile away,” Dodds said. “There also are four older laundries less than a half-mile from us.” Payment OptionsThe store accepts coins, loyalty cards and credit/debit cardsWashers and Dryers7 Dexter 20-pound frontloaders, $2.50, plus 25 cents extra for hot water
6 Dexter 30-pound frontloaders, $3.50, plus 25 cents extra for hot water
4 Dexter 40-pound frontloaders, $4.50, plus 25 cents extra for hot water
6 Dexter 60-pound frontloaders, $6.50, plus 50 cents extra for hot water
2 Dexter 90-pound frontloaders, $9.50, plus 50 cents extra for hot water
4 Dexter 30-pound stack dryers, $1.00 for 30 minutes
9 Dexter 50-pound stack dryers, $1.25 for 30 minutesWater Heating System1 Bock 500 hybrid water heating system, with a 125-gallon storage tankCard System1 SpyderWash card system, including a loyalty card dispenserBill Changer1 Rowe rear-loading bill changer with MEI bill acceptors and bill recyclersLaundry Carts10 R&B Wire Products 100E laundry carts with hanging poles
2 R&B 400 basket cartsFolding Tables1 large, customized, quartz folding table with dividers every four feet
4 customized, metal folding tablesFlooringSealed concreteLightingLED bulbsBeverage/Snack/Laundry Vending1 Vend-Rite Manufacturing side-by-side soda/snack combination vending machine, also with soap products.
1 Fastcorp Z400 ice cream vending machineTelevisions2 42-inch televisions
1 60-inch televisionWash-Dry-Fold Service$1.25 per pound, for next-day service
$2.00 per pound, for same-day service
$1.00 per pound, for “Start and Go” serviceAdditional Amenities• Drop-off drycleaning service
• USB charging stations built into the store’s folding table
• Free Wi-Fi access
• Free Starbucks coffee and cocoaFinance CompanyDexter Financial, for the laundry equipmentDistributorMichael Ambrose, Western State Design, Hayward, Calif., (800) 633-7153