by Marcia Todd
part to the fact that the area is only 18 feet wide. That width is a vital part of
this account because it is what decided owners Connor Pierce and Nancy Seto to open a coin laundry. They purchased the three-storey building as an investment and soon discov- ered that they couldn’t lease the 18’ x 110’ space. So instead they realized a long-time dream of opening a coin laundry. The couple’s background is
important. They are both pro- fessional project managers who know how to organize and operate businesses. Nothing was left to chance in the creat- ing of this new project. They chose Maytag equipment and involved Tony Traetto and Jack Armour of Harco early in their planning. Despite their exten-
YUMMI CAFÉ LAUNDROMAT is full of Surprises
Step into the Yummi Café Laundromat at 956 St. Clair Avenue West in Toronto and you are in a smart café with spare white tables, a display of artwork on the wall and a counter full of ice cream. A dramatic series of Par-38 LED light units draws your eye back 110 feet. Beyond the serving counters is a row of shiny washers facing a wall of dryers. The atmosphere is cozy and friendly, due in
Above: Looking from the café area to the laundromat. Note effective lighting. Below: Exterior of Yummi Café Laundromat.
was to choose the right type of coffee to serve. To this end they served free coffee, trying many di fferent types, unt i l they decided on Costa Rican coffee as the number-one choice of their customers. They then opened the café, serving muffins, coffee cake, breakfast sandwiches, jerk chicken and barbecue, among other items. As a special lure they added Kawartha ice cream, with a big cone featured in the window. That brings in casual visitors in addition to local residents. Another decision was the
sive business smar ts, they needed the guidance of Harco in dealing with the many per- mits, regulations, installation information and laws governing coin laundries in Toronto. “We couldn’t have done it without them,” said Connor Pierce.
DECISIONS AND SURVEYS Putting their project manage- ment skills to work, the couple canvassed the competition in their area, interviewing cus- tomers and checking out prices. As a result, all prices at Yummi are slightly below that of the competition. They also learned that the area had a diverse ethnic mix, with a tilt towards Latinos. Seven months later, when the coin store was opened, they delayed food service until they had a good idea about the preferences of their customers. Most important, they felt,
20 FABRICARE CANADA July/August 2014
decor: modern or antique? They decided to blend both. In the process of stripping the space down, a handsome brick wall with two windows was dis- covered. It was preserved, as was an old radiator and a big industrial safe located in the back of the space. The rest of the furnishings and equipment are sleek and modern. The café and laundromat split the total space in the shop about equally in terms of square footage.
SERVICE FEATURES The facility is fully attended and open from 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. the balance of the week. Wi-Fi is available on the premises and often used. The owners enjoy seeing their eth- nic neighbours Skyping back to their homeland while enjoying a coffee in the café. For the first six months of operation Tide pods and dryer sheets were given to customers. Now they sell the Tide pods, but dryer sheets are still free. Dry cleaning is also offered and serviced by a wholesaler. Wash-dry-fold service is
available at 90¢ a pound, which is the lowest price in the area. For orders of 40 lbs. or more, free pickup and delivery are
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