A little free press...

[CanCanCase]

Thanks to Brian Wallace for his comments and input.

This reporter sorta caught me blind-sided on the phone, and managed to mis-quote me well enough to actually put together a decent piece on what I've got going on...

Read the article here... (http://www.theworldlink.com/articles/2010/01/09/business/green_wash_laundromats_strive_to_be_more_energy_ef ficient_282.txt)

-Case

[Jefflange]

Video games in laundromats are nothing new. Its funny how the articles makes it sound like you came up with a new idea.

[CanCanCase]

Video games in laundromats are nothing new. Its funny how the articles makes it sound like you came up with a new idea.

I know, right? That bit caught me off guard too... After I explained the card system, he asked if just the washers used the cards, so I explained that soda/snack vending and video games were also planned to use the card system.

I might have accidentally dwelled on the gaming too long, however, explaining that they were a great money-eater in my bar and that's why I had decided to try it in the mat too...

My wife speculates that after Brian mentioned that less than 10% of Laundromats in the country are card-based, this guy must have figured I was a cutting-edge revolutionary in the industry!

-Case

[thinkclean]

Brian mentioned that less than 10% of Laundromats in the country are card-based, this guy must have figured I was a cutting-edge revolutionary in the industry!

-Case

You pretty much are cutting edge by going coin less! 18 Dexter Express washers and 10 pockets? That's about the size of my Express store, I have 22 washers and 11 pockets. 10 doubles, 10 triples, 2 maxis, 10 30lb stacks and 1 50lb stack. I have 2100SF and 600lbs wash capacity is based on 60lbs per parking spot, believe me the distributor wanted me to do more but Adamski's formula was very useful!

[CanCanCase]

I've always admired the genius behind casino chips, player cards, debit cards and the like... I recently took a Carnival cruise and they even get your credit card pre-authorized and linked to your cruise card/room key so that you dont ever touch cash for the whole trip. It's about 10million times easier to let your money go when it's a plastic card/chip/token/etc. and you never see your money going away.

For clarification, that's 10 STACKS not just 10 pockets... 8 @ 30 lb. stacks and 2 @ 50 lb. stacks. Washers are 6 @ 20 lbs., 6 @ 30 lbs., 4 @ 50 lbs. and 1 @ 80 lbs. All neatly arranged into just under 1500 sf. 5.5-6' ailes everywhere. Toss in a card-activated soda/snack vender, soap vender, video game(s), double EasyCard, and a bill-breaker and ATM buried in the wall outside my office and all I'm waiting for now is the State plumbing inspector to bless the construction... Shouldn't be too long now.

- Case

[thinkclean]

I've always admired the genius behind casino chips, player cards, debit cards and the like... I recently took a Carnival cruise and they even get your credit card pre-authorized and linked to your cruise card/room key so that you dont ever touch cash for the whole trip. It's about 10million times easier to let your money go when it's a plastic card/chip/token/etc. and you never see your money going away.

For clarification, that's 10 STACKS not just 10 pockets... 8 @ 30 lb. stacks and 2 @ 50 lb. stacks. Washers are 6 @ 20 lbs., 6 @ 30 lbs., 4 @ 50 lbs. and 1 @ 80 lbs. All neatly arranged into just under 1500 sf. 5.5-6' ailes everywhere. Toss in a card-activated soda/snack vender, soap vender, video game(s), double EasyCard, and a bill-breaker and ATM buried in the wall outside my office and all I'm waiting for now is the State plumbing inspector to bless the construction... Shouldn't be too long now.

- Case

If I have any regrets on my turnaround project it is not going for a card system. It was tough swallowing an extra $40K in investments but now I know FLOAT will be about that in 3 years, so it pays for itself in 3, not bad at all.

The only thing I would recommend is less triples more doubles... They are far more popular due to lower vend. Dexter triple is no 35lb and looks small.

[BCW]

If I have any regrets on my turnaround project it is not going for a card system. It was tough swallowing an extra $40K in investments but now I know FLOAT will be about that in 3 years, so it pays for itself in 3, not bad at all.

The only thing I would recommend is less triples more doubles... They are far more popular due to lower vend. Dexter triple is no 35lb and looks small.


I agree that customers are tending to use doubles more right now. They are also over loading them. The trend will probably swing back to more triple usage as the economy improves. The intelligent customers are still using triples, because they know it's a better value. My poor little doubles are making me an extra two dollars off of customers that pick machines based on price alone.

Tom