Hybrid laundromats are becoming more prevalent throughout the United States, writes Mariana Trujillo Valdes for The Wall Street Journal.

Brian Holland, chairman of the Coin Laundry Association, highlights that, “It’s not your grandfather’s laundromat anymore.”

Nowadays, some laundromats boast bars, cafes, bakeries, and bookstores.

Holland is also a founder of the Laundry Café, which has five locations across Philadelphia.

While the self-service laundromat offers the offers wash and fold services, its reach goes far beyond as it also offers literacy and health programs.

Holland often promotes the idea that people realized about a decade ago that laundromats “can be a place to engage community.”

That idea isn’t lost as laundromats like Pearl Lee’s Washtub in Brooklyn, New York, serves wine, coffee, and burgers in addition to housing washing machines.

Another Brooklyn laundromat, Sunshine Laundromat & Pinball, has a pinball machine for people to play while passing the time.

It’s a luxury, but for Holland and other laundromat owners, it’s closer to a necessity.

This is because customers will “be present for anywhere between an hour-and-a-half and three hours…it’s usable time,” he said.

Read more about Laundry Café and other hybrid laundromats popping up across the county in The Wall Street Journal.

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