$1 million remodel transformed part of Laundromat into cafe
By Garret Ellison
The Grand Rapids Press
KENTWOOD, Mich. (AP) - Crepes at the Laundromat may sound odd at first, but the folks at Sheldon Cleaners think it's a winning combo.
The local dry cleaning chain just opened a full service coffee shop called Cafe Louis at its remodeled facility in Kentwood and the new cafe includes a crêpe-filled menu that business owners hope will make doing laundry seem less of a chore.
"We wanted to take people's everyday laundry experience and bump it up to a new level," co-owner Paul Cares told The Grand Rapids Press. "Typically, when you go into a Laundromat, it's not an environment you want to spend much time in."
That was the thinking behind the $1 million remodel that transformed part of the company headquarters into a posh hangout with food, coffee, comfy seating, and flat screen TVs above new, environmentally-friendly high-speed laundry machines.
In addition to the crepe counter, the cafe has free wifi, a play area for kids, a fireplace, space for business meetings and a corner for open-mic style live music.
The menu includes both dessert and meal-type crepes, priced between $4 and $7. Sandwiches, salads, soups and baked goods are also offered.
"We didn't leave a stone unturned as far as making it a luxurious place to hang out for an hour," said Cares.
Planning for the remodel started a couple years ago. Sheldon Cleaners, a Grand Rapids company that dates to 1949, began looking for ways to green up its operations and reduce its dependence on hazardous chemicals, said Cares.
New machines with greater efficiency helped free-up space for a cafe. Part of the push was also a response to a changing marketplace. Demand for dry cleaning has fallen over the years as workplace attire has become more casual.
In order to widen the customer base, the Cares brothers, Paul and Louie, began exploring the idea of an in-house restaurant. The concept has been around since the Duds 'n Suds laundry chain of the 1980s began selling beer. Hybridized Laundromats serving food and beer can be found around the country in cities like San Francisco, New York, Charleston, S.C. and Asheville, N.C.,
The Cares duo hired local restaurant architect Mark Tomasik of Innovative Design to draw up cafe plans. Food service management consultant Sue Chaitin turned them onto the idea of crêpes.
In France, crepes are a grab-and-go, handheld food. In the U.S., most restaurants serve them on a plate - although European-style creperies are a growing trend around the country. At the Grand Rapids Downtown Market, Penelope's Creperie also serves the handheld version found at Cafe Louis.
"It's something different," said Cares. "It's cool and trendy."
So far, the traffic into the café has been steady, he said. Having an established customer base frequenting the location for laundry services helps, but "I thought it would take six months to do the business we're doing."
Published: Tue, Feb 10, 2015
