New Falls business includes internet access, television and video games
No washer? Tired of cleaning one load of clothes at a time? Want someone else to do the laundry all together?
Grant Foss, owner of the new Chicago Laundromat in downtown International Falls, hopes his business is the answer to those questions.
The laundromat includes 17 washers and nine dryers of varying capacities.
Customers can also drop off their clothes to be washed, dried and folded; or they can request pickup service at their residence. The price per pound is $1.25 for drop off and $1.75 for pickup. Prices for the washers and dryers vary depending on the size of the machine.
“If you don’t want to waste your day doing laundry, we’ll come pick it up and do it for you,” he said. “(Or) you can come down here and do a week’s worth of laundry in 45 minutes.”
The business also features a cable television, free wireless internet access, several video games and vending options. Foss expects coin-operated computers to be installed as early as this week. A children’s area is included.
“We’re trying to give people things to do,” Foss said, so they’re not bored waiting on the machines to finish. “We’re hoping people will not hate doing their laundry.”
Foss, who ran an electrical contracting business, also maintains the machines. The building is monitored by security cameras, which Foss said will maintain safety. “We have camera surveillance, so it’s a very safe environment.”
On the wall of the laundromat hang several framed vintage photographs of a thriving downtown area. Those who have lived in town for years may remember the Chicago Cafe, for which the laundromat was named. The architecture from the old Chicago Cafe can still be seen in the laundromat.
Now, Foss notes, folks looking for a close parking spot need only wait until 5 p.m. on weeknights or all day on Sunday, when the area becomes nearly deserted.
He hopes his 24-7 laundromat helps bring more people to the shopping and service district.
“I hope we can get it back that way. Getting people downtown to do their shopping downtown ... really helps out the community,” Foss said.
The business will offer special promotions. For example, on Sundays through April, customers can dry their clothes for free. Foss will post promotions and other information on the business’s Facebook page. Facebook users can search for “Chicago Laundromat — Downtown International Falls MN” to see the company’s Web site.
The business’s telephone number is 373-1010. The address is 328 Third Street.
