Three days ago while figuring out what to do with all the dirty clothing we had, we discovered a laundromat with possibly the best business model on this planet.

Iceland’s population is pretty small, home to about 330,000 people, and quite a bit of the island’s income in the summer time is from tourist activity. The capital, Reykjavik, was filled with tourists and lots of “tourist trap” shops and restaurants. Knowing that there were some hotels in the vicinity that did not offer laundromat services, someone decided to open a laundromat in the small town.

This was not your average laundromat.

The Laundromat Café – its official name – consisted of a restaurant, laundromat, and child play area. Three in one. It’s truly an incredible business model. You entice tourists by advertising your laundry services, and while they are there, they can bring their kids to play in the children’s area while they sip a cup of coffee and read a book. You don’t want to eat near your laundry or someone else’s kids? That’s fine. The restaurant is on the first floor, and the laundromat and children’s place is just one floor below.

After we loaded the washers with our first few loads of laundry, we sat down and ordered our lunch as Hope enjoyed reading a book in the reading nook behind us.

By the time we finished eating, we were ready to do the next few loads. We all took our computers since the laundromat also offered free wifi, so we were able to reply to emails and get connected with loved ones back home.

I’ve considered opening a café/bakery business after I retire from being an engineer, and this was a great inspiration for what kind of services I would provide, as well as what kind of customers I’d want to attract. Getting to hear about many travelers’ adventures while they enjoy one of my pastries and they do their laundry? Sign me up!

Never have I seen such a cool laundromat, so if you’re in Reykjavik and have to do some laundry, definitely come to the Laundromat Café!