More Than Laundry: How Spin Laundry Lounge Became Portland's Neighborhood Hub

When Morgan Gary opened Spin Laundry Lounge in March 2014, she wasn't just launching a business—she was executing a vision years in the making. What started as a graduate school capstone project has evolved into Portland, Oregon's premier eco-focused laundry experience, proving that laundromats can be so much more than impersonal spaces. Now, nearly twelve years later, with two thriving locations and a recent technology shift to unified systems, Morgan's story demonstrates how combining sustainability, community building, and strategic technology adoption can completely redefine an industry.

About Spin Laundry Lounge

Morgan Gary isn't your typical laundromat owner. With an MBA in Sustainable Business earned in 2012, she spent her graduate school years not just studying business theory, but creating a comprehensive 300-page blueprint for how to revolutionize the laundromat industry. Her vision was clear from day one: create a space that serves as a true community hub while making a meaningful environmental impact.

Together with her husband Anthony Fusaro—a graphic designer who proposed during Spin's opening weekend—Morgan has built something special. Spin operates two locations in Portland: the original 5,000 square foot space in the Historic Mississippi District (opened 2014) and a second location on Broadway (opened 2018). What makes Spin extraordinary is how it challenges every assumption about what a laundromat should be, from its neighborhood-focused locations to its commitment to being a "third space" where community naturally forms.

A Graduate Thesis Becomes Reality

Morgan's journey into the laundry industry began in an unexpected place: frustration. "I had my own personal experiences using laundromats that were not great," she recalls. "Nothing made me want to spend time there. I just needed to get in, get my laundry done, and get out."

After moving to Portland in 2008 specifically for the city's sustainability focus, Morgan found herself in corporate management—grateful for the opportunity but not doing something she was passionate about. When she decided to pursue an MBA in Sustainable Business, her professor's first-day assignment changed everything: create either a business plan for a sustainable company or a sustainability plan for an existing one.

"Immediately laundry came to mind," Morgan explains. "There are so many ways to make an impact—from utility to the space itself, the community aspect, the soaps. Everything has great potential to be updated and really make a meaningful impact."

Building the Blueprint

What followed was intensive research and planning starting in 2010. Morgan used every class to develop different aspects of the business: financial plans, marketing strategies, operations plans. "I remember going to the library and getting every single book that had the title 'laundry' in it," she laughs. "Now there's so much information available, but back then there was really nothing."

By graduation in 2012, Morgan had her 300-page blueprint. She also had Anthony's design expertise to create a brand identity that would set Spin apart. "We wanted it to feel less like a laundromat and more like your neighborhood hangout spot," Morgan says. "Anthony's graphic design background meant we could really showcase ourselves and have an identity, have that brand-forward presence that you just didn't see in laundromats back then."

From Concept to Community Hub

Over the past eleven years, Spin has evolved through strategic decisions about equipment, partnerships, and expansion—each driven by Morgan's commitment to sustainability and community.

The Equipment Foundation

• Morgan built Spin on a foundation of Electrolux 450 G-force washers purchased in 2013—equipment so advanced that it remains more efficient than many newer models on the market over a decade later

• The equipment delivers results home machines simply can't match: up to 8 loads of laundry washed and dried in under an hour, with advanced water extraction that dramatically reduces drying time and energy consumption

• Customers consistently note the quality difference: "The laundry you get at Spin versus at home—there's no comparison. It's really a quality wash."

The Café Evolution

• When Spin first opened, the café component seemed essential to Morgan's vision of creating a gathering space centered around a meal and community

• For seven years, Morgan and Anthony operated both the laundromat and café side by side, at their peak employing 30+ across both operations

• COVID forced a critical reevaluation: "What we realized is it's a completely separate business. What we focus on and what we're great at is laundry."

• Rather than abandoning the community gathering concept entirely, Morgan found a better solution through partnership with Brave Neighbor Coffeehouse & Social in early 2025, who now operates inside the café space at the Fremont location

  • The collaborative model maintains the gathering atmosphere while allowing Spin to focus on their core competency: "There's still that element of gathering at Spin, and with Brave Neighbor, there are shared values about the importance of having a welcoming cafe space that acts as a community hub for the neighborhood."

Strategic Expansion

• Demand for a second location became clear just one year into operations when Spin implemented a reservation system and regularly had three people deep waiting for certain machines

• Finding the right space took time and unconventional methods—Morgan ultimately found both locations on Craigslist, defying traditional real estate approaches

• The Broadway location, housed in a former auto body shop, required over two years of city permitting but opened in 2018 with a distinctly different approach than the original

• Rather than replicating the café model, Broadway embraced its neighborhood context: no internal café, but surrounded by a brewery, dive bar, wine bar, Vietnamese restaurant, bagel shop, coffee shop, and taco spot—all on the same block

• Spin had a local sign painter hand-paint a walking neighborhood map that showcases the nearby food and drink spots along Broadway next to its comfortable seating area, so customers can indulge while waiting for their laundry

• Morgan's philosophy: "I'm not going to reinvent the wheel. I want to embrace our neighbors and have this be an anchor point where people can go to all these different places."

• Both locations intentionally avoid "typical laundromat locations"—strip malls with huge parking lots—in favor of neighborhood integration and walkability

From Multiple Platforms to Cents 

For years, Morgan pieced together multiple systems to run her operations: one platform handled laundry tracking, another processed wash-and-fold payments, separate card readers managed machine payments, and everything fed into QuickBooks. "I made it work and it was as efficient as I could get it at the time," she says. "But we started to see the value in bringing everything under one roof."

The catalyst for change came after eleven years when her card readers started becoming outdated and breaking down. Multiple readers went out simultaneously, and new regulations meant they couldn't accept tap payments or mobile options. "It almost became a full-time job managing them when they break," Morgan recalls. When Cents introduced the Penny card payment system, the timing was perfect.

"We needed to upgrade our payment readers on the machines, and it really made sense to combine everything," Morgan explains. "I love data and I love to understand trends and my customers. I use it to continue improving and making changes that are beneficial for the community. I was having a hard time getting all the data I needed."

Morgan's decision to implement Cents went beyond just upgrading card readers. The Penny readers now accept credit/debit cards, Apple Pay, Google Wallet, and more—all while keeping coin slots open for those who prefer cash.

But the real transformation came from the Cents Business Manager. "I can open up the dashboard and see high-level information immediately instead of trying to cross-reference multiple reports," she explains. "Anytime I need anything, I'm going to one spot and I know where to look."

The integrated system provides visibility Morgan never had before: machine performance data, customer behavior patterns, service-level profitability, and real-time operational metrics across both locations. "Before, I'd gather reports from each system and make sure it all matched, then push it back into QuickBooks and analyze it," she says. "I save a lot of time now."

Sustainability and Community

Morgan's commitment to environmental and social sustainability goes beyond energy-efficient equipment—it's woven into every aspect of Spin's operations, from innovative programs serving underserved populations to educational initiatives that change customer behavior.

The Hypoallergenic Machine Program

At the Fremont location, Spin maintains two washers and two dryers that have never seen fragrances or harsh chemicals—ever. These hypoallergenic machines serve customers with severe chemical sensitivities who often have no other option besides washing clothes in their bathtubs at home.

"We have customers who drive over an hour away to use those machines," Morgan says. The machines sit in a separate alcove where staff can monitor them to ensure they remain chemical-free by only using Spin’ hypoallergenic soap options.

Zero-Packaging Soap Model

Spin doesn't sell soaps in individual packaging. Everything is purchased in bulk and either given to customers or dispensed directly into machines. "None of our laundry products have harsh chemicals—they're all biodegradable. That's our standard," Morgan explains. All machines feature free sanitizing cycles—hot water rinses that clean machines between uses—available since day one.

The Sock Donation Program

What started as a problem—finding up to 10 to 50 single socks per day—has become one of Spin's most impactful community initiatives. After being turned away by multiple organizations, Morgan was able to find partners like Portland Rescue Mission willing to accept pairs of socks matched by size, thickness and style. Spin now donates close to 10,000 pairs annually—a significant contribution considering socks are often an essential item needed at shelters yet remain one of the least donated.

Building Community Through Diversity

Perhaps what surprised Morgan most over the past decade has been the emotional connection with customers. "Everyone kind of thinks about laundromats as this one-and-done, in-and-out experience," she reflects. "But we've really built a community."

Spin's customer base defies traditional laundromat demographics—every age, every demographic, renters, homeowners, and travelers from around the world. This diversity was intentional. Morgan thinks about laundromats the way she thinks about cars: "In cities, not everybody needs a car. You can rideshare, carpool, take the train, bike, walk. I think it's the same with laundry. You don't have to have your own washer and dryer—these are shared spaces, third spaces where people can come together."

Changing Perceptions

Many first-time Spin customers arrive skeptical but leave converted. "They've never been to a laundromat, their washer broke, and they don't know what to do," Morgan says. "Then they come in and say, 'Oh wow, this was so fast and efficient. I got everything done for my whole family in an hour.' A lot of them never replaced their machines."

Education as Sustainability

For Morgan, sustainability isn't just about equipment—it's about education. Spin offers free hangers for air-drying on sunny days. Staff educate customers about washing in cold water, drying on low heat, and using proper detergent amounts.

"For me, it's more important that someone does the best thing for the integrity of fabrics and the environment than paying quarters to dry their clothes," Morgan emphasizes.

Spin sells a variety of sustainable laundry products such as: wool dryer balls, locally sourced essential oils to add a chemical-free scent to your wash or dry, Cora Ball and Guppyfriend bags that prevent microplastics going into waterways, and its own hypoallergenic soap line called Spin Soap by partnering with Nellie’s All Natural.

“We’ve been using Nellie’s All Natural Laundry Soda and their bleach alternative Oxygen Brightener at Spin since day one, so working with them on a partnership was a perfect fit. Our soap arrives in 5 gallon buckets that our laundry attendants use to fill our single use soap pouches and our retail soap jars. Then the empty soap buckets get donated to local artists or rebuilding centers, so everything gets used and doesn't end up in a landfill.”

Operational Excellence & Looking Ahead

With 20+ employees across two locations, Morgan and Anthony remain heavily involved in daily operations. The Cents platform has enabled them to maintain hands-on management while gaining strategic oversight they never had before.

As Spin approaches its twelfth anniversary, Morgan's vision continues to evolve. While she's always on the hunt for a potential third location, timing and fit matter more than rapid expansion. "It has to be the right time, right location, right space," she emphasizes.

The transition to Cents has opened new possibilities for customer engagement, particularly with self-service customers who were previously invisible in the data. Morgan is excited about the ability to market effectively and build relationships with a customer base she could never engage with before. What's clear is her commitment to sharing information rather than gatekeeping. "If every laundromat had an element of Spin where people feel like they're walking into a comfortable community space, are greeted by someone, it's clean, and they have a sense of belonging—that'd be great," she reflects.

The Bottom Line

Morgan's message to operators considering entering or transforming the industry is encouraging: "There's so much room for new ideas and innovation in this space—really building something different. As more operators are leaving and new operators are taking over, I'm excited to see the shift in forward-thinking, sustainability, and building brands."

Her advice? "Don't be afraid to really jump in and make it your own. What someone thinks a laundromat should do or could be—it's not. It's so much more, and there is so much opportunity."

When Morgan opened Spin in 2014, people warned her everyone would copy her concept. Her response? "That's great. I want that to be the case." Over a decade later, that generosity of spirit remains unchanged. She's not protecting trade secrets—she's hoping to inspire an industry transformation.

Morgan Gary's journey from graduate student with a comprehensive business plan to operator of two thriving, community-centered laundromats proves that challenging industry assumptions pays off. By building on a foundation of sustainability, investing in cutting-edge equipment, creating genuine community spaces, and consolidating operations through Cents technology, Spin Laundry Lounge has become more than a successful business—it's become a model for what the modern laundromat can be.

"We're not just providing a laundry service," Morgan concludes. "We're offering an experience that fits into people's busy, eco-conscious lives while building something meaningful for the community. And if we can inspire others to do the same, even better."