Commercial laundry is the revenue stream you're probably not pursuing
Most laundromat owners rely entirely on walk-in self-service and wash & fold customers. There's nothing wrong with that — it's steady income. But commercial contracts from hotels, gyms, spas, and restaurants are where the serious money is.
A single hotel or gym contract can mean a steady check every month. These are predictable, recurring payments that don't depend on foot traffic or weather. And your machines are already sitting there — you're just filling idle capacity.
Who needs commercial laundry services?
The list is longer than most people think. Hotels and motels need linens, towels, and robes laundered daily. Gyms need towels and uniforms. Airbnb and vacation rental hosts need fast turnaround between guests. Spas and salons need towels and treatment linens. Restaurants need tablecloths, napkins, and aprons. Medical offices need scrubs and lab coats.
Within 10 miles of your laundromat, there are probably dozens of businesses currently outsourcing their laundry to someone. The question is whether that someone is you.
The outreach system that books meetings
A generic email blast won't do it, and neither will a single cold call. What works is personalized, multi-step outreach to researched decision-makers: a written email first, then a call, a follow-up and a visit.
Here's the process: First, research every potential commercial client within your target radius. Identify the decision-maker by name — the hotel GM, the gym owner, the Airbnb property manager. Then send a personalized sequence of 3-5 emails over 2-3 weeks, each tailored to their specific business type.
A hotel GM should get a different message than a gym owner. Reference their specific property, their proximity to your laundromat, and the specific laundry challenges their business faces. Personalized sequences like this get far more replies than mass blasts.
That research and writing is the part most owners never find time for, so it's what our commercial outreach does for Laundromat Growth Package clients: we find the businesses around your store, research each one and write the emails, call script and flyer. You send each email from your own inbox.
What to say in the meeting
When you land a meeting, focus on three things: reliability, turnaround time, and price. Commercial clients care most about not running out of clean linens. If you can guarantee next-day turnaround and competitive pricing, you'll be hard to beat.
Bring a simple one-page proposal with pricing tiers based on volume. Offer a trial period — two weeks of service at your standard rate so they can experience the quality firsthand. A trial that goes well tends to stick, because switching laundry providers is a hassle once you're set up.
Don't undersell yourself. Commercial rates should be higher than consumer rates because you're providing a business-critical service with guaranteed turnaround.
Timeline and expectations
Don't expect a signed contract in the first week. Commercial deals have a longer sales cycle than consumer marketing, so keep the outreach steady and give it a few months before you judge it. The lifetime value is dramatically higher.