LaundroLab – headquartered in Charlotte, N.C. – recently announced that investor Gary Shah has signed an agreement with the laundromat franchise to open three stores in Charlotte. Previously, Shah owned and operated a chain of gas stations in North Carolina.
LaundroLab said it anticipates a Charlotte market capacity capable of supporting 12 additional franchises, and Shah’s insights will help lay the groundwork for successful expansion throughout the market and the state.
“We’ll be able to provide immediate assistance to our franchisees everywhere, but it will be extremely easy for our franchises in Charlotte to receive instant support based on proximity alone,” said Dan D’Aquisto, president of LaundroLab, who noted that the brand is eager to grow in Charlotte due to the close proximity to its corporate office and existing corporate-owned location, The Laundry Room. “We feel that a presence in the city we are headquartered in will help us grow quickly into additional markets, too.”
“There truly is a need for a standout laundromat in this country, and we’ve seen it directly in Charlotte,” D’Aquisto added. “It’s important for us to give back to the city where our corporate office calls home.”
LaundroLab is targeting customers in Charlotte who live within a one- to three-mile radius of a higher-rent area. Although people in these communities may have access to laundry centers, their existing laundry facilities “might be poorly maintained or lacking the services of a modernized LaundroLab facility,” according to the franchise.
The LaundroLab business format enables franchisees to operate under a “semi-absentee model,” working as little as five to 10 hours per week to satisfy business needs. Franchisees are able to work with remote flexibility, and each LaundroLab unit requires only a handful of employees per location, according to the company.
In addition to its targeted areas in higher-rent districts, the brand reportedly seeks to establish itself in areas where household size is between three to four people and average household income is at $40,000 or below.
“We saw that our business was essential during COVID-19,” D’Aquisto explained. “And we find it equally essential to deliver to a market of customers who are in need of an uplifting experience during an essential duty.”
