![]() ![]() “It actually works out well,” she continued. At The Laundry on Pantano, the self-service option is all cash and runs on a smart card technology, “We are a card-operated store, and we offer a refund on those cards, which is very unusual,” Victoria noted. One way the Dotson’s have been able to differentiate their business from the other laundromats in the marketplace has been to offer a refund on loyalty cards. The second location TLC on Swan has been a work in progress since March 2018, and is nearly complete, after many long nights. They originally passed on the idea, but an opportunity arose that Stephen could not pass up. The same can be said for their second laundromat. ![]() ![]() “Both were large investments,” Victoria said, “probably a bit larger than most people think.” The entire process at our first location took approximately four to six months, to research and secure funding, but that’s not to say all was perfect from the get-go. Recently, they’ve added to their investment with the purchase of a new store, Tucson Laundry Centers on Swan and have worked tirelessly, investing into brand new equipment at that store. Eventually, they found one they liked – The Laundry on Pantano –and the entrepreneurial couple has now been in the laundry business for five years. We would still have the flexibility to continue in our work while running a rather self-sufficient business, with the help of a pleasant and helpful staff.” Having done their research and becoming comfortable with the idea of owning a laundry, the Dotson’s began their search for an existing store. He found that you didn’t need to be 100% on premises with a laundromat, since there isn’t a lot of product to care for. “He spoke with some business owners and people he knew and found that many of them got their start with a laundry business. “He did his research and, because we both had jobs, he didn’t want something that we would be tied to,” Victoria explained. Victoria admitted that getting into the laundry business in the first place was mainly Stephen’s idea. While owning a laundry is the couple’s first foray into business ownership, it definitely fits with their calling of being of service to others. She also helps students studying perfusion at the UA hone their skills in the OR and in simulations. Victoria also works in the healthcare industry she is a perfusionist, which is a specialized healthcare professional who uses the heart-lung machine during cardiac surgery and other procedures that require cardiopulmonary bypass, and also works full time at a local hospital in Tucson. Navy, retiring after 23 years of service, and now works part-time as a nurse with the Department of Veterans Affairs locally in Tucson. Stephen had spent a number of years in the U.S. We hope to see you many more times, and we hope you let your neighbors know that this is a great place to get your laundry needs done, whether you use our self-service option or our full-service option, we thank you.Īlthough there are many advantages to owning a self-service laundry, one of the most common reasons would-be entrepreneurs seem to favor opening laundromats over other small-business ventures is, in a word, flexibility – the flexibility to set their own hours, the ability to attend their children’s school activities and sporting events, and the opportunity to follows their passions and callings.įor Stephen and Victoria Dotson, the owners of The Laundry on Pantano in Tucson, AZ, and now most recently Tucson Laundry Centers on Swan, it was the ability to continue to follow their passion for helping others. We hope you will come say hi and introduce yourselves if you ever see us servicing our stores. Thank you for visiting our site and our laundromats. Laundromat ownership has helped us fulfill this passion. We have always had a passion to own our own business and to also help others. ![]() Vicky grew up in the Northeast – New Hampshire to be exact, but moved around with Steve after marrying in 1992, and have since settled here to raise their two children. Stephen and Victoria (Steve and Vicky) have lived in Tucson since 2006, as well as from 1998-2004, and prior to enlisting in the Navy after high school, Steve grew up in the Old Pueblo where he graduated from CDO high school in 1988. ![]()
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