SOUTHAMPTON — A stop at the laundromat may often be a wrench in many people’s day, but not at Sip ‘n Spin, a new laundromat-cafe hybrid business where customers can get their laundry done in less than an hour while relaxing and enjoying a much-needed energizer.
The area around the Red Rock Plaza at 15 College Highway is a frequent stop for people visiting the pharmacy, getting groceries or grabbing a bite to eat, which is why Sip ‘n Spin co-owners and Southampton residents Holly and Volkan Aydar knew it was the right location for their vision.
“For a laundromat, I think the location is everything,” said Volkan.
“It’s safe, it’s bright, it has great parking … It was really fortuitous that we found it,” said Holly.
Walking into the laundromat, customers are met with an array of more than 40 washer and dryer units combined. After loading their laundry, people can venture into the adjoining cafe located through an opening on the right side of the space. The cafe sells a variety of coffees, smoothies or pastries. There’s also space for customers to relax or gets some work done using free Wi-Fi.
While the husband-and-wife duo say the businesses are run independently, they are designed to work in tandem with one another, just like Holly and Volkan.
“We are solely focused on making this an exceptional business,” Holly said.
After getting married five years ago and moving around the country frequently for work, they settled in Southampton right next to where Holly grew up, in Easthampton. They began pondering ideas for a community-oriented venture.
Then Holly’s daughter pitched the idea of opening a laundromat with a “third space” style. When they saw the listing for the unit on the far-right end of the Red Rock Plaza, Holly said “the planets aligned” and it was the right space to bring a business into her hometown community.
“We identified this would be a great space and we really started doing just a ton of research,” Holly said.
The couple got to work, looking at the best washer-dryer units and began traveling around the region to find the best coffee suppliers. They are supplied by Counter Culture Coffee and purchased their espresso machine from Italy.
They said while the laundromat-cafe combo is popular in New York City, there were few outside of the Big Apple. To their knowledge, this is the first in Massachusetts.
Holly said Sip ‘n Spin is much larger than similar concepts in New York. While laundromats have to squeeze into tight locations in New York, Holly and Volkan dedicated time making their business as welcoming as possible, including comfortable furniture and open space to relax.
This is really a community-based project for us
Holly Aydar
Since opening in August, they said customers have been using the space in a variety of ways whether that is reading, working, chatting or just relaxing.
“It’s all intentional to create a very kind of relaxed experience,” Holly said.
Holly has background in hospitality services as a consultant, knowing how to create inviting spaces. Volkan has a background in engineering, knowing how to find the best, state-of-the-art washing and drying units.
“I think the one thing with both of us, him being an engineer and me having an IT background, we went for everything we did. We did this the most innovative way we could,” Holly said.
The eco-friendly washing and drying machines use less gas, water and electricity. One advantageous feature of the machines is that washing cycles take only 22 minutes and the dryers roughly the same.
“The other big thing that we recognize, is time is so valuable to everybody … and these wash cycles in these newest machines, take 22 minutes to do your laundry,” Holly said.
The laundromat has roughly 20 washers and more than 20 dryers. During renovations, concrete blocks were added to secure the two super-sized washers that can handle 80-pound loads. Additionally, there are units for 60-, 40- and 20-pound loads with dryers that can handle the same capacity. All units include a touch screen to change heat, type of load and other laundry necessities.
To avoid the hassle of bringing coins, first-time customers make an account and print a card they can upload money onto. Just like tapping a card to pay for groceries, customers do the same to use the washers and dryers. Additionally, there is an app customers can pay with and also shows which units are available at anytime, sending a notification when a load is done. Accounts also keep a record of purchase history, so customers can see how much and when they paid.
“We did this completely coinless,” Holly said. “I call that a frictionless experience, when you don’t have to worry about getting quarters, making change or any of that.”
Prices range from as low as $4.50 a load to $15 depending on the washer and dryer units used. Services are provided for washing, drying and folding, costing $2 for every pound in a load. Detergent and other washing necessities are sold on site, if needed.
While still having other professions, Holly and Volkan are frequently at the laundromat and cafe. Holly said she even learned to become a barista, wanting to be a part of the business anyway they can.
For them, the business was always intended to be for the community. They held a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the beginning of the month, welcoming all to the new business. They hope to hold future community events such as bingo nights and children readings sessions.
“This is really a community-based project for us …” Holly said. “We have had people in here as far as Hatfield and Holyoke coming. We’ve been really fortunate.”
More information can be found on the Sip ‘n Spin website.
