Tag Archives: Small Business

Corona Laundromat offers 24-hour service to LeFrak City area

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Washer and dryer systems are an afterthought in New York City apartments. The appliances, used, at most, once a week, are large, making it difficult to create space for them in congested apartments. Enter, the local laundromat that provides the service at a moderate price in residential neighborhoods.

Along 55th Avenue towards Horace Harding Expressway in Corona, the 55th Avenue Laundromat is squeezed between a construction site and a 24-hour liquor store. Although all surrounding apartment complexes offer laundry service in their respective basements, this laundromat generates enough customers from around the neighborhood to support a strong business. Opened almost three years, it has seen steady growth in its customer base.

Corona is crowded with laundromats that are as busy in the afternoon as coffee shops in Manhattan are in the morning. Over 15 businesses in the area offer a variation of the same service, all looking for ways to differentiate themselves. Some offer tailoring; others offer games to fill time waiting for clothes to wash and dry. Almost all fail to maintain business or remain with the same ownership for more than five years.

The 55th Avenue Laundromat is a monopoly force in the LeFrak City area. They only offer washing services, keeping their niche in the neighborhood specific. Instead of additional services, they are the only laundry offering extended 24-hour service. They offer the cheapest prices at $2 for a small machine and $4.50 for a large machine. Laundry rooms in the apartment complexes close at 11pm and offer machines starting at $2.50. The laundry businesses in the area close at 10pm and not all of them offer $2 machines. Further, for every quarter, the drying machines provide 10 minutes of service. All surrounding laundry services offer machines for 8 minutes per quarter.

Around for over three years in Corona, they are one of the few services that do not offer tailoring as an extension to their business.

Around for over three years in Corona, they are one of the few services that do not offer tailoring as an extension to their business.

The main drive for most of their client base is how well kept the laundromat is. Every hour, a different associate is either wiping down the table that customers fold their clothes on or cleaning dust balls out of machines. “Eighty percent of the time the laundry is spotless… people should be able to come in and get what they pay for,” said Taj Maharaj, an associate at the Laundromat.

Both a Navy Marine and a former student of Lehman College, Maharaj is the overnight associate who supervises the laundry. While weekends bring the highest number of customers, the overnight hours draw more clients during the week. Maharaj acknowledges that many people who live in the neighborhood work graveyard shifts as a second job to make money. Customers who come in at these hours are usually transit and hospital employees who also happen to live in the area.

For those who do not have the time to do laundry, the laundromat offers wash-and-fold services where your clothes are cleaned and folded by end of day. Charging by weight, they start at $11 for 10 pounds of clothes and 90 cents for every extra pound. They get an average of eight bags a day, all done in a matter of six hours.

Their efficiency is predicated on the vast number of machines that are always available for use. They have 20 small washing machines, 12 medium washing machines and four large washing machines lined up on the right side of the store and 40 drying machines facing the washing machines.

“Instead of spending $20 a week on detergent, fabric softeners and spending half my day waiting for laundry, I bring my load of dirty clothes every week.  I save tons of time by spending an extra couple dollars,” said Jesus Mejia, one of the many frequent customers at the laundromat.

Their wash-and-fold service brings in a little less than a sixth of their total revenue, but it is not as cheap as surrounding laundromats that offer the service for 20 cents less. “We don’t use the generic soap to wash clothes. It costs more money to wash the clothes with care,” said Rosabla Benitez, a daytime associate at the laundromat.

There is meter parking offered on the street where the laundromat is located. Most customers who use their services often walk from home lugging their bag of clothes over their shoulders. Charles Hadley, the owner of the 55th Avenue Laundromat and a 20-year seasoned professional in laundry service, wants a parking lot around the area for his business to increase. “You can’t get someone to walk from the corner of Junction Boulevard and 57th Avenue to drop of their laundry,” said Hadley.

Along with the other daytime associate, Benitez handles the wash-and-fold services for most of her shift. Since most of the customers who use the service come during the morning hours, she is familiar with many of them. Most of the clients communicate in Spanish with her, but for those who don’t, Benitez gives off a welcoming energy. Customers feel comfortable leaving their clothes in her hands.

The secret is knowing her clients. “If the people see that you care about their day, they feel safe leaving their clothes with you. I try to remember everybody’s name and sometimes I can tell whose clothes I am washing because of the shirts they own,” said Benitez.

Alba Monegro, a resident from the 57th Avenue apartment complex, goes to the 55th Avenue Laundromat specifically for the dryers. In her home, she has enough space for a washing machine. She hang-dries most of her clothes, but for comforter sets and underwear, she logs her cart into the laundromat knowing that she does not have to spend more than two dollars. “I always take advantage of the deals around the neighborhood. They are the only [laundry owners] who let me use the dryers without washing my clothes in the area,” said Monegro.

Other than spotless maintenance, Hasley does not intend to seperate his business through aesthetic. The 24-hour lighting on the window is enough to generate service.

Other than spotless maintenance, Hadley does not intend to separate his business through aesthetic. The 24-hour lighting on the window is enough to generate service.

The laundromat is the newest around and has a simple business model for longevity. Strong maintenance around the business and long-lasting relationships with customers is the recipe for Hadley’s success in the area. “Keep the machines running, keep customers happy and offer good product at a good price,” said Hadley.

Bacon, Egg, and Cheese at The Crescent Street Deli & Grocery

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The smell of freshly made bacon, egg, and cheese breakfast sandwiches wafts through the air and mingles with the rich scent of coffee that has been brewing since the crack of dawn. While waiting in line to place your order, you are blasted by a rush of cool air as the door opens every two minutes for customers rushing in to get their daily fix.

“I’ll have a bacon, egg, and cheese.” That is the phrase that cook, Javier Gomez, hears about 50 times daily while working the grill. Jorge Domingo, his partner behind the counter, works with him brewing fresh coffee to be paired off with the breakfast sandwiches.

Crescent Deli & Grocery, located at the intersection of Newtown Avenue and Crescent Street is the ideal stop to get your morning started in Astoria, Queens. The Deli & Grocery store hours are the same for every day of the week, opening at 5:00AM and closing at 11:00PM.

Basher “Tommy” Hassan co-owns the Crescent Street Deli & Grocery with his brother, Mohammed “Mo” Hassan. The brothers have lived in Astoria for an average of 20 years and have owned the deli for about ten years. They decided that opening up a Deli & Grocery business would be a great way to build something together and spend time together.

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Bashar “Tommy” Hassan

“We wanted to be our own bosses” Tommy said, naming it as one of the driving factors for opening the deli & grocery. Tommy, being the more social brother out of the pair, mostly handles customer relations behind the counter while Mo handles the behind-the-scenes processes such as restocking and employee management.

The Hassan brother’s Crescent Deli & Grocery happens to be very popular even though it is not located on a main road in the neighborhood. It is, however, right across the street from an all girls Catholic high school, a Catholic church, and many neighboring apartment buildings. Teachers and students from the school and many of nearby residents are the primary customers for the Hassan brothers. The Hassan brothers have so recently become merchants on Grubhub and Seamless, allowing for customers to have their orders delivered to them–an advancement that has been greatly helping their business.

“I always order a bacon, egg, and cheese,” comments high school teacher, Lauren Fromberg as she waits to place her order with Javier. “It never gets old. And the service here is always great!”

Lauren Fromberg is one of many that starts her morning with a stop at Crescent Deli & Grocery before heading across the street to start her day as an English teacher. It is also impossible for her to avoid running into students, since many of the girls like to stop by to buy chips and other snacks before class. Tommy also mentioned that he and Mo sometimes provide catering for early morning teacher’s meetings as well, making the Catholic school one of their biggest customers.

“It’s always the busiest in the morning, from about 7AM up until late 10AM. Everyone’s rushing in and we’ve all got to keep up.” Mo says as he restocks bottles of orange juice into the refrigerator shelf. “It’s always an adrenaline rush every morning, working to keep up with our customers.”

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Competition lurks just up the block in the form of a C-Town supermarket where sales and discounts are never rare. The grocery prices at C-Town are definitely lower than the prices at the Crescent Deli and Grocery and the Hassan brothers simply cannot compete with prices that low. However, the Hassan brothers do have an advantage over C-Town with Grubhub and Seamless. While C-Town does not deliver groceries or food, the Hassan brother’s have an advantage in being the one vendor in the residential area that can serve their clients by bringing the products and food they desire right to their door.

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Tommy explains that he and Hassan try to offer more than just food in order to keep up with their competition, the C-Town supermarket on the next block. Aside from having an aisle dedicated to potato chips, hostess pastries, and other packaged foods, the deli also offers a selection of personal items such as toothpaste, soap, and even laundry detergents. In some ways, they have become a “one stop” destination by offering a wide assortment of items so that customers can get everything they need from their store.

“You’d be surprised about what some people buy.” Tommy smiles, commenting on his customers buying patterns. “Some would order breakfast, and then also purchase a bottle of shampoo or bottle of cleaning product.”

The C-Town located just up the block does have much more foot traffic than the Crescent Street Deli & Grocery, however, there does not seem to be as much of connection between customers and cashiers. Customers pace the aisles of the store, grabbing what they need and not interacting much with store employees as they move beside them.

Cashier Sarah Ali has worked at C-Town for a couple of months while attending classes part time at LaGuardia Community College in the neighboring town of Long Island City. She comments that when working at C-Town, she “just tries to have each customer checked out as fast as possible.”

It’s clear that even though C-Town does drive more traffic, Crescent Street Deli & Grocery has been able to stay alive through their connections to their customers. It is their faithful, everyday customers that help their business to stay grounded.

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Although the location of the Deli & Grocery definitely does not get nearly as much foot track as it would if it was located just two blocks over on 30th Avenue, it is strategic enough in that it attracts many customers from the nearby high school, and residents from the apartment buildings before they rush over to the train station on 30th Avenue.

When asked about the competition at hand, Tommy simply shrugs and says, “Competition will always be there, it’s just something to keep you motivated to work harder each day.”

They strongly believe that they are able to keep up with the competition by offering deli and grocery items as well as a heaping side of very personalized service for their daily customers.

“I see these guys everyday,” says construction worker Bill Lombardi. “They know my order so well–they always ask me if I want ‘the usual’”

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What keeps the Hassan brother’s business stays alive through the strong friendships and ties built with their frequent customers.

Sweet Life Pastry Shop: The New Bakery for A Gentrified Washington Heights

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She fills the pastry case with Mexican “conchas,” a sweet yeast roll topped with a sugar shell, as she takes the next person’s order, while handing the last customer his cappuccino. Located on Broadway in between 162nd and 163rd street, Sweet Life Pastry Shop is at its peak rush hour, with a constant stream of customers creating a never-ending line at the small shop.

This family-run bakery led by Ignacia Hernandez offers more than just pastries. Inside, there are signs advertising their authentic Mexican food, espresso lattes and even green juices for the health conscious customer. The main display case shows a wide array of sweets; from cake slices, to breakfast scones, to the famous “flan,” the ever so popular custard treat in the Washington Heights area. Many menu items are completely customizable, and Ignacia and the Hernandez family pride themselves in offering such a wide variety. While her husband runs the meal kitchen, her sister is baking cakes, her daughter runs the counter, and her husband’s uncle delivers the latest online order that was just completed.

coffeetaco2Behind the counter, Ignacia offers free samples of her “pastry of the day.” Customers gladly accept a treat along with their coffee, as Ignacia beams with pride and asks them what they think about the pastry. Her personalized approach to customer service sets this pastry shop apart from the competition in the area. “We pride ourselves in using the freshest ingredients, and it makes me happy to give someone a treat and hear what they think. This improves my baking.” Having worked in the bakery business for years before starting Sweet Life Pastry Shop, Ignacia transitioned from working for someone else, to achieving her American Dream and owning a business.

Sweet Life Pastry Shop has quickly become the bakery hub for the gentrified demographic in Washington Heights. As opposed to the Dominican bakery which caters to the Caribbean population down the block and the Dunkin’ Donuts on the other end of the street, those who enter the bakery walk out with an espresso latte for a fraction of the price. Currently, the drinks at Sweet Life Pastry are about 1/3 the price for a latte at the local chain coffee shop, charging $1.75 for a Mocha latte as opposed to the $5 price tag at the local Starbucks.

Ignacia notes that the neighborhood’s changing demographics have greatly influenced the customers that currently eat at her bakery. “We have to keep the prices low for this area because we are small…right now we do well selling our pastries and Mexican food- we find that the Americans buy more food, and the Hispanics more cake.”

According to the District 12 census of 2010, there has been an increase in the white non-Hispanic population by 18.4 percent. As a result of this, incomes have increased from about $30,00 to $47,838. Ignacia says this has influenced her clientele, and the bakery has adjusted by offering different services such as online ordering for deliveries, free wireless internet access on their premises, and a greater array of pastries in order to appeal to the newer markets and survive in the area.

coffeetacoMeanwhile, Jose Rodriguez- owner of Estrellita Bakery located on 161st and Broadway faces a different challenge. Although he caters to the Dominican population of Washington Heights and has remained a “niche” pastry shop in the neighborhood, Washington Heights is changing rapidly with an influx of more ethnicities in the neighborhood. “Dominican pastries have kept this business running very well for many years. We are lucky that there is still a strong Caribbean population here, but things are very different now, and we’re hoping our traditional pastries are enough to thrive in this area.”

Many new and established businesses are now forced to diversify their business to adapt and cater to a greater number of customers. Ignacia recounts a specific instance where this was evident: “I had a customer come in and not want to pay taxes on her food because the other bakeries in this area don’t charge it. I don’t think customers understand that these taxes are not for me; they are to pay the government. It took us about a year to make ends meet, and now we are seeing positive changes and can only hope that continues.” In a neighborhood where new businesses face tough competition and hundreds of businesses close each year, Sweet Life Pastry Shop has held their own.

Sweet Life Pastry Shop is a new business trying to find its target demographic and consumer. They are trying to cater to any need a customer may have, and this strategy is successfully placing them on the map as a leading bakery in Washington Heights. IMG_6689Their online reviews rave about the customer service and family oriented environment. In an area full of bakeries- both local and chain- Ignacia takes the time to greet and get to know every person that enters her bakery. She talks about a certain customer that always leads to free pastries: “little children steal my heart, I have a boy who comes here and I have to give him a free muffin, I try and make everyone’s experience memorable so that they will want to come back.” With the increase in customers in the past year, one thing for Sweet Life Pastry Shop is for sure- they’re certainly on their way to becoming a local favorite in Washington Heights.

Neighborhood Business Proposal: Lenox Hill

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Since 1936, Windsor Florist on East 78th Street and Lexington Avenue has been providing Lenox Hill residents with beautiful flowers and unique plants. Sam Karalis, who inherited the business from his family, has it all, from simple red roses to rare, exotic cacti and even Venus Flytraps.

Since Windsor Florist has been around so long, I would love to see it’s evolution as a shop and how it had to change with the neighborhood, and the city in general. Also, it’s quite busy due to it’s close proximity to Lenox Hill Hospital, one of the neighborhood’s focal points and a place guaranteed to help a flower shop stay in business.

Looking at their website, one can see an array of different options, but many of their flower arrangements and plants cost over $100. I’m curious if it’s the wealthy residents in the neighborhood who can support these sales or if it’s just people visiting friends and loved ones in the hospital.

The shop itself has almost definitely had it’s rent grow exponentially since 1936, and I’m wondering how they’ve managed to stay in such a coveted location for so long.

Windsor Florist is always a visible treat to peer into from the outside, and getting an inside perspective from the owner himself, employees, and a customer would make for a great Lenox Hill story.