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by Samantha Tkachuk


beams and stone/metal siding. The interior reflects the same beauty – stone pillars, stain- less steel appl iances and leather seat ing. Wi t t ich designed a space where locals could come together in a wel- coming social setting. Even if someone has laundry facilities at home, they may want to bring their clothes here just for the atmosphere.


Not your everyday laundromat


Originally from Ontario, Doug Wittich moved to beautiful British Columbia in the late 1980s to study commercial photography. After graduation, he went on to open his own photography school, which he continued to operate for 10 years before selling. Today, Wittich is the owner and president of Wittich Environmen- tal Services Ltd., located in Sooke, BC. A few years ago he collab- orated with a friend who owned some land locally that he wanted to develop. Wittich saw a coin laundry as a much needed service for the community and began to write a business plan. “Our town has been without a laundry business for 18 years


since the fisheries closed down the last one, due to the soaps entering our basin waters (Sooke Basin),” he said. “We now have proper sewers in place and water treatment available, which opened the doors for starting a new laundromat.” Presently, the treated water is only being used at the car wash facility that operates next door. “Our research indicated that clients had an issue with reused water in clothes,” says Wittich. “Our water is relatively cheap, and based on how our sewer charges are applied, we get no breaks on recycling.”


AN INVITING SPACE Sooke, BC is located on the coast of Vancouver Island and is a 45-minute drive from Victoria. Sooke Laundry is currently the only coin laundry in Sooke, serving 16,000 residents. It stands in a new 3,600-sq.-ft. building that is incredibly beautiful both inside and out. “I would have made more money charging a ‘looky loo’ fee,” laughs Wittich. Tourism is big in Sooke and although they don’t have laundry, the tourists make a point of stopping by just to take pictures.


14 FABRICARE CANADA July/August 2014


LET’S DO COFFEE Along with laundry facilities, there is Café Mat, offering a full range of espresso and drip coffees made from fresh roast- ed beans supplied by Caffe Fantastico in Victoria. “The staff are trained as baristas, which is where everything starts,” says Wittich. “Bad coffee – no clients.” There is also a full sandwich bar, fresh- ly squeezed juices, baked goods, soups and chili on the menu. “The menu will contin- ue to change as we become better linked with locals and what they have to of fer.” Though the café is on-site to serve their laundry clients, the majority of their customers come in for the café. In support of the local arts


Wittich read a study com-


pleted by a university after countless interviews with peo- ple that detailed what they didn’t like about laundromats. Some of the responses includ- ed: dingy, no windows, low ceilings, etc. So in designing his laundromat , Wi t t ich worked wi th a reputable architect and created a facility that was the complete oppo- site. The modern architectural details of the exterior reflect the west coast setting – wood


community, there are approxi- mately 25 local artists’ paint- ings hanging throughout the store that are for sale. Wittich is very proud of this space and has offered up the facilities for use by local groups. So far the store has hosted the running club and a book review/ author signing night, with a list of other events soon to come.


EXPERIENCED ADVICE Wittich chose family-owned and -operated All West Laun-


Above: Bright, colourful, inviting interior. Top: Exterior of Sooke Laundry, Sooke BC.


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