Via Rutkowski 
When it comes to city living, one thing remains constant for many locals: the importance of a trusted laundromat. As an essential piece of apartment life, these wash-and-fold hubs are often pillars in their own designated neighborhoods. Whether you love laundry day or dread it, Spins Laundromat, located at 580 Montgomery Street in Jersey City, makes the entire experience a breeze. Read on to learn more about Spins Laundromat and the friends who brought the Chilltown spot to life.
How it Started
College friends Danish Shaik and Maunish Patel purchased Spins Laundromat in November of 2023 when they were on the hunt for their next endeavor. The space had previously been home to another laundromat for over 25 years, which was run down and up for sale. The two met at Rutgers Business School in Newark, where they were already dabbling in the entrepreneurial life. They were co-presidents of the Rutgers Student Managed Fund, where they taught underclassmen how to invest in securities of public companies, diving into the depths of research, pitching, and more.
Maunish graduated in 2020 and Danish graduated in 2021. In 2023, they took their commitment to entrepreneurship to the next level by purchasing Spins Laudromat. Both were still working full-time on Wall Street at the time. Danish, who grew up in South Brunswick, and Maunish, who grew up in Malawi, told HG, “We both were fortunate enough to grow up with families who have their own businesses in the States and abroad, so we had naturally garnered that spark early on, actually trying our hand at a few entrepreneurial endeavors before acquiring Spins Laundromat.”
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More than a Business
The natural entrepreneurs saw Spins Laundromat as an opportunity for long-term potential. Danish shared, “Our investment thesis has been to acquire an essential, local business, understand the market dynamics and the community it serves – and then bring our own flavor and unique touch to grow and serve our customers. We have both always loved the idea of a very ‘boots on the ground’ approach, and small business ownership is the perfect way to engrain yourself in the communities we have spent years around.”
Aside from their entrepreneurial instincts, they understood the real-life struggles that come with city living. Maunish was living in a walk-up apartment in Jersey City Heights, and Danish was living in a closet-sized apartment in NYC, neither of which had in-unit laundry. They both experienced the dreaded lugging of laundry bags for blocks at a time, waiting around for hours, and wasting weekends doing a few basic loads of laundry. Danish shared, “We both came to the realization of how important cleanliness, a warm atmosphere, and affordability are when you’re investing so much of your time at laundromats. From that, the idea to find the right laundromat, our way, was born!”
Spins Laundromat stands on the founding principles of community, affordability, and cleanliness, with a goal to create a welcoming and convenient environment for customers. Since opening in November 2023, Spins Laundromat has served customers all over Hudson County and has even partnered with numerous businesses that outsource their laundry to Spins.
Both Danish and Maunish are proud to be part of the Jersey City community and admire the legacy that exists within the neighborhood, right between Grove Street + Journal Square, adding, “The community here is unmatched – passionate people, local pride, and endless opportunities to build something meaningful together.” Now, almost two years in, the familiar faces and repeat customers feel like family. The two often visit the laundromat and are constantly in touch with customers via email and Instagram.
When team HG asked Danish + Maunish what has been the most rewarding part of this journey, they said “Being able to bring our families, especially those visiting from India, Malawi, and across the U.S., to Spins and show them our operation was a very full circle moment, and something we’ll never forget. We are a product of our roots, so the opportunity to be on the other side of it now is really special.”
How it Works
Spins handles a long list of services to ensure customers’ clothing, linens, and beyond are all thoroughly cleaned, dried, and pressed. The laundromat offers wash, fold, and dry services to do yourself or drop off for pick up or delivery in Jersey City, Hoboken, Weehawken, and Newark. These services apply to all kinds of clothes, bedding (sheets, comforters, pillows), curtains, carpets, towels, uniforms (construction, fire, restaurants, etc.), and even restaurant linens. Our writer from team HG dropped off an oversized comforter for delivery, and it was delivered less than 24 hours later, as fresh as can be, right to her door. Customers can also drop off their laundry to be washed, dried, and folded for $1 per pound.
In addition to the usual wash and fold, Spins Laundromat also provides dry cleaning services. The team can cover everything from dresses (wedding gowns, cocktail dresses, etc.), business wear, outerwear, and specialty fabrics. Danish added that the team also handles South Asian wear such as sarees, lehengas, Indo-Western items, anarkalis, blouses, dresses, cholis, kurtas, and sherwanis. Special bulk commercial laundry for businesses (big and small) is also available.
Customers access Spins on a convenient debit card system. As customers arrive, they can simply pick up a personal Spins card and load it with funds using cash or credit. There are zero quarters needed, which makes life a lot easier and your pockets a lot lighter. Customers washing and drying in person can use the e modern machines in a variety of sizes with experienced staff to support the process. Plus, an added bonus for customers has to be the large parking space available right out front for easy access.
While a typical self-serve wash and dry cycle varies depending on the type of machines the customer uses, Spins has washing machines ranging from $3.50 – $11. Additionally, dryers are around 25-50 cents per round. The Spins website is also a great tool for easy access to pick up and delivery, with promotions for new customers.
Going The Extra Mile
The owners told HG, “I think the beauty of Spins is that when we say we want to serve the community, we mean this holistically, from commercial businesses across Hudson County, to the local family who makes their weekly visits. I think we actively try to seek an edge from a retail to commercial client perspective, making it a one-stop shop for whatever your needs might be. We have met with many businesses to discuss how to best scale and streamline their operations, and at the same time have our ear to the ground with local customers to tailor our services to their feedback.”
And when the Spins team says they listen to feedback, they mean it. Danish shared that after chatting with several repeat customers, they decided to launch a rewards program for customers who order pick-up and drop-off services online. Now, loyal customers can earn money back on each purchase. Danish added, “Our ability to adapt and keep a dynamic business model to stay current is something we are proud to say Spins excels at.”
In the future, Maunish and Danish hope to expand into other areas of Jersey City, Hoboken, and throughout Northern New Jersey. Spins is open Monday through Friday from 8AM – 9:30PM and weekends from 7AM – 10PM. To keep up with Spins Laundromat, be sure to follow along on Instagram.
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