As customer expectations evolve, a new generation of operators is redefining how laundromats are run.

By Jeff Moak

I’ve visited a lot of laundromats over the years I’ve been in this industry. Whether I’m on vacation, driving through a different town, in the U.S., or even in Europe, I find myself walking into stores to see how they operate.

The one thing that continues to stand out when I visit stores across Canada is how often I see the same thing. Many of them look alike—older equipment, no staff, and little to no additional services being offered.

When I walk back out of these stores, I usually find myself asking the same questions:

1. Why did you even go in? You already knew what it would look like.
2. Why are the current owners continuing to run the business this way?
3. Are they close to retirement, or did someone recently purchase the store thinking this is what a laundromat should be?

A Familiar Pattern

At least in Canada, this isn’t just a handful of stores—it’s the majority. Stores built 20, 30, even 40 years ago, with minimal upkeep, upgrades, or change. The same business, running the same way, but now thrust into a future where customers expect more.

It’s almost like I enjoy punishing myself every time I walk into one of these laundromats. But what I’m really doing is holding out hope—that someone has come in, made changes, improved the store. I want to walk in and be surprised. I want to notice small details and appreciate ideas I hadn’t thought of myself.

Because the reality is, our customer base has changed. What used to be a “need to use a laundromat” customer has shifted into a “choose to use a laundromat” customer. And that shift changes everything about how we should be operating today.

In many of these stores, that shift hasn’t happened. There’s been little to no reinvestment, no evolution in how the business is run. The model hasn’t changed in decades, even as the expectations around it have.

Why Some Stores Haven’t Changed

For many long-time owners, the laundromat was often a side business. They own the building, the business generates steady income, and it may outperform what they could earn by leasing the space out. As property values increase and the original investment is long paid off, the laundromat continues to serve its purpose. From that perspective, investing back into the business isn’t always seen as necessary.

A Different Perspective

At the same time, I speak with new investors who approach these same stores with a very different mindset. They see outdated equipment, poor reviews, and an opportunity to improve the business. They assume the current owner has lost interest and will be motivated to sell—but often they don’t fully understand the reasons the store has been operated the way it has.

That brings me back to the question of who owns many of these stores. Some are long-time operators nearing retirement, thinking about their exit strategy. Others see the laundromat as insignificant compared to the value of the property itself. And in some cases, newer owners have stepped in, but without the capital or the operational mindset to truly evolve the business.

Those are the stores that concern me the most—the ones caught in between. Purchased with the idea of passive income but operated with minimal investment or change. The expectation is that customers will continue to come simply because the store exists. But today’s customer expects more, and delivering more requires both effort and investment.

I don’t want to paint this as entirely negative, because occasionally, I do walk into a store that surprises me. It’s been retooled, it’s clean, it offers services, and it reflects a different level of attention to detail.

A New Generation of Operators

There is a new wave of operators entering the industry. Some are acquiring existing stores and modernizing everything, from the equipment to the customer experience. Others are building new facilities designed to meet today’s expectations from the ground up.

What stands out is how they approach the business. They’re not taking things away—they’re adding. Additional services like Wash & Fold and Pickup & Delivery, better seating and folding areas, larger machines, and more flexible payment options. The stores are cleaner, brighter, and more intentional in how they serve customers.

Even when these owners aren’t working inside the store day-to-day, they’re actively working on the business. They’re present, and the teams they build reflect that level of care.

So, who are these new operators? In many cases, they’re business-minded, comfortable with technology, and focused on identifying gaps in the market. They’re willing to invest in their stores—not just in equipment, but in the overall experience.

They aren’t tied to how things have always been done, and that allows them to approach the business differently.

For operators who are satisfied maintaining the status quo, this shift may not feel urgent. But as more of these newer stores enter the market, the gap between what customers expect and what some stores offer will only continue to widen.

Which kind of store are you running?

---