Laundromat Washes Ashore On Whalley

By the time officials arrived to cut the ribbon on the west side’s newest laundromat, customers were already inside using the state-of-the-art washing machines. The air was fragrant with the smell of fabric softener and dryer sheets, and the speakers pumped in classic Mary J. Blige and Erykah Badu.

The ribbon-cutting took place at a new LaudroMax laundromat-superstore outlet at 478 Whalley Ave. near the crossroads of Ella Grasso Boulevard.

In cutting the ribbon, general manager Chris Walker was focused on opportunity — for the community, and for people like him looking to succeed in business.

Having access to a laundromat is crucial in urban environments. Not only are washers and dryers themselves expensive, but older buildings in cities sometimes don’t even have hookups for those appliances. Access to clean clothes is not always considered a luxury, but looking and smelling good is essential to feeling confident when moving through the world.

Walker has lived in The Tre for over 10 years and is well known by residents and the local business scene alike. He’s leveraging those relationships to help him in his mission at LaundroMax.

“We’re striving to be the greatest resource in this community,” he said. ​“We truly want to give back, not just come in and take.”

One way Walker is accomplishing this goal is by literally giving back. All this week, LaundroMax is providing free food and raffles to customers and visitors who come to the laundromat. The week’s festivities culminate in a pizza party Friday and a Saturday raffle where three new bikes and a big flat screen TV will be given away.

Walker assured me that this is only the beginning. 

“This summer we want to do more raffles. We want to offer food to people. We want to do book bag giveaways for back to school. I have the platform and the budget to do it, so I want people to know that as long as this store is here, we’re going to take care of people,” Walker said. He said he wants to involve other local businesses in his plans to provide entertainment and services while people wash their clothes. 

Walker started out as a customer service assistant, the entry-level position at a LaundroMax chain outlet. He worked his way up to his current position, which is his second stint as a manager. He aims one day to work at the regional management level.

“To move from the lowest position to the highest is a beautiful thing,” he said. He said LaundroMax gives people that opportunity by hiring from the community and promoting from within.

“Look at me,” says Chris, outstretching his arms to show the intricate tattoos he has all over them. ​“I’m tatted up and I’m the manager. We’re going to expand into Hamden soon, and someone from this store will be the manager too. And as we expand, we’re going to hire more community people and offer more opportunities.”