Phillip and Lois Irwin
Waters Express Laundry Center
Tampa, Fla.
Before Getting into the Laundry Business…
Phil Irwin is retired from the United States Air Force and is a former McDonald’s franchisee, with three locations.
Store Opening
December 2013
Business Hours
• Monday – Thursday: 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.
• Friday – Sunday: 6:00 a.m. to 12:00 a.m.
Staff
Six part-time attendants and one full-time manager
Total Square Footage
3,200 square feet
Parking
21 spaces
Lease or Own?
A seven-year lease, with three seven-year options
Existing Location or New Store?
Waters Express Laundry was built from the ground up.
Construction Process
Six months
Cost, Including Laundry Equipment
$1,275,000
Turns Per Day
6.3
“We’re still growing at a rate of three to five new customers per week,” Phil noted.
Utility Costs
9.7 percent of gross revenue
Marketplace Demographics
“The market is 79 percent Hispanic and features mostly renters,” Phil explained. There is a low-income section of the marketplace, as well as a high-end area with incomes above $60,000.
Competition
There are eight other self-service laundries within the marketplace.
Payment Options
Waters Express Laundry is a card store that accepts all forms of payment, except for debit cards.
Washers and Dryers
24 Continental 20-pound frontloaders, $2.19
12 Continental 40-pound frontloaders, $4.19
4 Continental 55-pound frontloaders, $7.25
4 Continental 90-pound frontloaders, $10.49
20 Continental 30-pound stack dryers, 34 cents for six minutes
18 Continental 45-pound stack dryers, 54 cents for six minutes
4 Continental 75-pound dryers, 79 cents for six minutes
Water Heating System
5 Rinnai on-demand water heaters
Card System
Card Concepts Inc. X-Changer card system
Bill Changer
1 American Changer AC-7815 bill changer
Laundry Carts
22 R&B Wire Products laundry carts
Folding Tables
12 customized granite tables
Flooring
Slip-resistant ceramic tile
Lighting
LED lighting
Soap Vending
1 Vend-Rite Manufacturing soap vending machine, $1.00
Beverage Vending
1 BevMax 3800-4 beverage vending machine
Snack Vending
1 Dixie Narco AMS-35 snack vending machine
Arcade Games
• Galaga
• Ms. Pac-Man
• Silver Strike Bowling
• Pirate’s Chest
Televisions
5 50-inch HDTVs – two of them are LG EzSign televisions, which enable in-store training, sales and other information
Additional Amenities
• 16 security cameras
• Free WiFi access
• Baby-changing stations in the restrooms
• Dyson hand dryers
Wash-Dry-Fold Service
$1.10 per pound; 15-pound minimum
Commercial Accounts
$1.00 per pound
Drop-Off Drycleaning
$3.99 per piece
Distributor
Laundry Pro of Florida, Lakeland, Fla., (863) 701-7714
#PlanetLaundry #FeaturedArticle #StoreOperations #Public #Article
