Convenience Store/Gas Station Owner Grows Business with Adjoining Self-Service Laundry
Huebsch has named Raj Patel its latest recipient of the company’s Store Owner of the Quarter Award for Speed Coin Laundry, a self-service laundry adjacent to his convenience store and gas station, located in Murfreesboro, Tenn.
“Mr. Patel’s success over the past 20 years is inspiring,” said Kathryn Rowen, North American sales manager for Huebsch. “From having essentially nothing when his family immigrated to the United States to now owning multiple successful businesses, he emulates the American Dream. We are so glad he found success in the laundry industry, and that Huebsch could support him in achieving his business goals.”
Patel was 14 years old when his family moved to California from India in 1995 with just $500. They soon moved from California to Chattanooga, Tenn., and saved their earnings to purchase a convenience store and gas station. After seven years of building a successful business in Chattanooga, the family’s next move was northwest to Murfreesboro, where they purchased Marathon Discount Tobacco, an eight-pump gas station and convenience store with an adjoining storefront. They filled this space with a liquor store, which they also owned and operated.
Unfortunately, the liquor store wasn’t bringing in the revenue Patel had hoped. So, in 2013, he sought out a more sustainable and profitable – yet somewhat hands-off – investment. This search led him to the self-service laundry industry and Nashville-based Huebsch distributor, National Laundry Equipment.
Patel received a tailored business loan from Huebsch Financial, and also relied on his distributor’s support and expertise throughout the renovation and installation of 36 machines. Among many aesthetic updates, a doorway now connects the convenience store and laundromat from the inside.
Speed Coin Laundry opened in July 2014 and, as Patel intended, it has already been beneficial in driving customers to his convenience store, while also proving to be independently profitable. When drivers pull in to pump gas, they discover the laundromat, which may come in handy for them in the future. What’s more, laundry customers are likely to venture into the convenience store and purchase snacks to enjoy while they wait for their clothes to wash and dry – something that wasn’t as common when the liquor store filled the space.
With the initial success of Speed Coin Laundry, Patel is already dreaming of owning multiple laundries someday.
“I already have the ideas and support system – it’s only a matter of time,” Patel said.
Introduced last year, the Store Owner of the Quarter Award recognizes Huebsch laundry operators who have excelled in entrepreneurism, technology adoption, innovation, and superior customer and community service.
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