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When Tim Richardson started researching the laundromat industry, he wasn't looking for a passion project. He was looking for a vehicle. Tim had a specific goal: build a business, grow it for 10 years, sell it, and donate proceeds to Torrance Memorial Medical Center — the hospital where his wife has volunteered for seven years.
What he didn't plan for was falling in love with the work.
More than a year after opening Deluxe Laundry Spa in Los Angeles, Tim has a growing membership base, a 1,100-square-foot commercial processing center, and a data centered operation that supports every decision he makes. The business he built to sell has become something worth building.
The Investor's Approach to Choosing a Location
Tim spent two years researching before signing a lease. His criteria were simple:
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Over 3,000 square feet
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Within 10 miles of his home
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Large enough to sell at four times its valuation
The space he landed on had been closed for four years. Other operators had passed on it because it sat directly next to a 24-hour coin laundromat. Tim saw it differently.
"As an investor, I knew it was an opportunity to give consumers a choice — you can go to a 24-hour laundromat, or you can come to a high-end garment care center."
After an eight-month lease negotiation and a nine-month build-out, Deluxe Laundry Spa opened December 13, 2024. Fully cashless, tech-powered, and built to stand out.
Going Cashless from Day One
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Before the build-out was complete, Tim was already researching POS systems. Going fully cashless wasn't an operational preference, it was a major business decision.
"One of the factors in building equity in a laundromat is the cash problem. I wanted to sell this store in 10 years — I needed to eliminate any doubt about the revenue."
After connecting with his trusted mentor Dave Menz, Tim chose Cents. Cents Penny devices went on all 60 machines at opening — accepting credit cards, debit cards, and QR-code mobile payments. Every transaction is documented.
One interesting feature of Tim's stores is his approach to a quarter-free mentality for his customers. He prices every machine at an odd number — $7.91, $7.93, $11.92 — so he can raise prices in small increments each quarter without the psychological jump of a 25-cent coin increase and no one will be looking for a quarter slot!
"I've gotten zero pushback," he says.
Building a Membership, Not Just a Customer Base
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Tim's goal from the start was to turn every customer into a member. Here's how he does it:
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Every new visitor gets a personal tour; through each machine size, the internet bar, and the Laundroworks kiosk where they sign up
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Members get exclusive access to the restroom, vending machines, and pickup and delivery ordering
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When someone joins, their name goes up on the store's (2) 82” TV monitors to promote a community feel, welcoming the member while non-members start to think they should join
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Tim is also building out a VIP tier system (Silver, Gold, and Platinum) for his most loyal members
The biggest growth driver has been word of mouth. Members bring in their families, their neighbors, people they mention it to in passing. While his membership program is still growing, Tim's long-term vision is a membership-only store with laundry card-controlled access throughout.
"When a person sees that blue card, they know the person has probably spoken to me, had the tour, or heard me tease them about something. They walk in and instantly recognize the membership they share with each other. Like a social club."
How Tim Uses Cents and Laundroworks Data
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Tim starts every day reviewing Cents and Laundroworks dashboards before the store opens. By the time he arrives around noon, he already knows what's happening.
"I integrate all of that with AI and it gives me a 360-degree view — at the macro level and at the floor level. It tells me exactly what's happening in my business, from daily revenue down to how often a member visits the vending machine."
The reporting he pulls includes:
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Custom revenue dashboard: real-time revenue across every channel
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Machine turns detail: which machines ran, how many cycles, what modifications customers chose
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Order processing queue: active drop-off and delivery orders
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Laundroworks member data: every transaction, time-and-date-stamped
He uses it to run experiments with promotions and sees quick results in weeks, not months. A few examples:
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Tumble Tuesday — after identifying Tuesday as a slow day, he launched a 20% discount and used Cents data to confirm whether it was working within five to six weeks
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Deposit promotions — tested a higher cash bonus to encourage bigger Laundroworks deposits, found it didn't change behavior, and went back to the original offer
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Crowd control pricing — when a service gets too popular, he raises the price to protect the experience, not to capture more revenue
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Custom cycles — when a member requested a specialized wash program, he built it in Speed Queen's software and used Cents data to track whether it was being used
"The data tells me what's working over five or six weeks. I don't need five months."
The Processing Center: Room to Grow
When Tim negotiated his original lease, he secured first right of refusal on the adjacent 1,100-square-foot space. A year in, he exercised it.
The processing center connects internally to the main floor while keeping its own entrance. He built it because operators who take on commercial accounts without dedicated space consistently hit the same wall — storage backs up, folding competes with self-service customers, quality slips.
"I knew I needed that 1,100 square feet before I ever needed it."
The commercial markets he's going after:
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Luxury senior living communities — premium facilities that lack specialized garment care
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Hospital and clinical accounts — where his high-temperature and hypoallergenic cycle options align with healthcare requirements
Pickup and delivery runs through Cents Dispatch using Tim's own truck, keeping quality and reliability in his hands. Customers track orders in real time through the Cents app.
What the Next Eight Years Look Like
Tim is two years into his 10-year plan. He's looking at one to two additional locations, each built on the same Cents and Laundroworks foundation.
"If I sell the brand for $10 million, Torrance Memorial Medical Center will get 80% of the proceeds, my employees will get 10% and the remaining 10% we will keep for other investments. That's the goal."
Every morning he's back at his desk at 6 a.m., reviewing the data, making decisions, moving forward.
"Every day is a day toward the end. And so every day is exciting. Every day is unique. It'll never be repeated."
Tim set out to build something he could sell. What he's built is something worth becoming.
Ready to build your Laundromat business? Schedule a demo and take Cents for a spin.
