Laundry Nerd Podcast

EPISODE 59, Laundromat Design

Host Randy Radtke talks with Kyle Pethke, Manager of Laundry Design at Alliance Laundry Systems, about the full process of designing laundromats—from site selection and demographics to utility planning, equipment mix, and construction-ready drawings.

They discuss common challenges (tight footprints, odd angles, service access, sight lines), industry trends (larger-capacity machines, card/pay systems, wash‑dry‑fold), frequent design mistakes like overcrowding, and how to engage Alliance’s design team for projects.

EPISODE 58, New York State of Mind

There's little doubt that with its densely populated boroughs, New York is a unique laundromat market. In this episode of the Laundry Nerd Podcast, we chat with Christian Almonte, Vice President of Lav Express laundromats in New York, to gain insights on the business, market, and their new giant laundromat in Queens. We’ll also learn how Christian, a second-generation laundromat owner, decided to get into the family business.

EPISODE 57, Soap, Softener, and Snacks: Exploring Vending

Vending, even if it’s just about offering single-use soap and softener, can be an excellent additional revenue stream for laundromat owners. Vend-Rite has been a supplier to the laundry industry since 1952, helping owners meet customer needs and drive additional revenue in the process.  In this episode of the Laundry Nerd Podcast, we chat with Mark Gies from Vend-Rite, to learn more about their company, products, and much more.

EPISODE 56, Navigating Marketing with Suds Digital.

Laundromat owners who ignore marketing and refuse to stay abreast of best practices do so at their own peril. In this episode of the Laundry Nerd Podcast, we chat with Dom Santamaria, owner of Suds Digital to learn more about the business and best practices. 

Franchise Flavor: How a Speed Queen Owner Built Success in Baton Rouge

Randy Radtke talks with Speed Queen franchise owner Jeremy Stroud about why he chose the franchise route, how franchisor support and a strong staff helped launch his Baton Rouge location, and lessons learned running pickup & delivery.

They cover site selection, onboarding, operational support, practical tips for new owners, and plans for a second location.

EPISODE 54, Going Unattended in Ohio

With so much focus on attended stores expanding into wash-dry-fold services and pick-up and delivery to maximize revenue, we are venturing in the opposite direction in this episode. We are chatting with Matthew Charney, owner of Fivefold Laundromat in Columbus, Ohio, about his decision to go unattended and how technology helps him stay on top of the business. 

EPISODE 53, A Detour into the Arts

We are getting artsy in this episode. Leah M. Schulte is co-owner of Midtown Washboard Laundromat in St. Charles, MO, and author of Laundromat Detour – Poems about Bra Underwires, Quirky Customers, Mopping and More. In this episode, we chat with Leah about her laundromat, book, and, in a Laundry Nerd podcast first, share some original poetry. Definitely a can’t miss episode. 

EPISODE 52, Wash-Dry-Fold POS

More than 10 years ago, co-founders of Wash-Dry-Fold POS, Brian Henderson and Ian Gollahon, set out to give laundromat owners a point-of-sale and management software solution that streamlined pain points. In this episode, we chat with the pair and learn how their unique perspective as store owners guides their products as well as learn about exciting new developments in API that unlock additional functionalities. 

EPISODE 51, Salt Lake City is Heating Up.

Salt Lake City continues to expand outward. In this episode we chat with Zach Brewer of Rhino Laundry & Dry Cleaning Specialists to learn if this rapid growth is also creating opportunities for laundromat investors. 

EPISODE 50, A New Way to Pay.

We love introducing you to the industry’s newest technology. In this episode, we are joined by Lyndsay Varner, digital product manager at Alliance, to discuss a new payment method introduced at Clean Show 2025 that has taken off. 

 

*The Laundry Nerd Podcast was formerly known as Laundromat Insights