The go-to laundry service for many Coconut Grove residents moved west this week to a temporary location at 3634 Grand Ave., with plans for a new permanent facility around the corner on Douglas Road.
The Espinosa family packed up their sewing machines last weekend and switched off the conveyor belt that’s been spinning freshly-cleaned clothes inside Coconut Grove Laundry & Cleaners for decades.
The family-run business, a Coconut Grove landmark since 1961, moved west this week to a temporary location at 3634 Grand Avenue to make way for the proposed five-story mixed-use Ziggurat development.
The existing building at Grand Avenue and Matilda Street, where Angel Espinosa Sr. opened the family business after leaving Cuba more than 60 years ago, is destined to be demolished in the next few weeks as construction begins on the new development.
On Monday, the family greeted customers for the first time at their new location, just across from Gibson Plaza. The new storefront will be for laundry drop-offs and pickups only, explained Romulo Espinosa, one of five siblings who now run the business.
For now, dry-cleaning services will be outsourced, but alterations will remain in house. Espinosa said he doesn’t anticipate much change in service but tells customers to expect cleaning to take an extra day.
Looking ahead, the family plans to open a permanent location at the corner of Douglas Road and Frow Avenue, a block north of Ike’s Food Center, but exact plans and a timeline are still pending.
“Unfortunately, everything’s taking longer than we expected. That’s when we got lucky and found this temporary location,” Espinosa said.
Demolition of the laundromat is expected as early as April 15, according to Javier Fernandez, an attorney with the Allen Morris Company, Ziggurat’s lead developer.
The Espinosa family are development partners in the Ziggurat project.
Other businesses affected by the new development, including Grand 7th, The Last Carrot and The UPS Store, previously closed their storefront locations. The UPS store relocated to the corner of Grand Avenue and Douglas Road.
Id like to say a special thanks to the Espinoza family. Your new development is in keeping with the Grove vibe. We wish you lots of luck and success.