Opening a laundromat or wash-and-fold laundry service is an exciting milestone—but without the right marketing plan, even the best-equipped store can fall flat. Whether you're building from the ground up or taking over an existing location, this detailed roadmap will walk you through the Top 10 essential marketing actions to take from 90 days before opening all the way through launch week.

These steps are designed to create buzz, build your reputation, and bring in paying customers from Day One.

📆 90 Days Before Opening: Lay the Foundation

1. Define Your Brand & Target Market

• Choose your brand voice, logo, and messaging. Will your vibe be modern and tech-savvy? Family-friendly and local? Premium service?

• Identify key demographics:

  • Busy parents

  • College students

  • Apartment renters

  • Elderly residents

  • Local small businesses (for commercial accounts)

• Create customer personas to guide your advertising tone and platforms.

2. Establish Community Connections

• Join the local Chamber of Commerce.

• Attend civic club meetings (Rotary, Kiwanis, Lions).

• Connect with local property managers, HOAs, and real estate agents.

• Sponsor youth sports teams, community events, or school fundraisers.

📆 60 Days Before Opening: Get Visible

3. Set Up Digital Infrastructure

• Launch a Google Business Profile (crucial for local SEO).

• Build a clean, mobile-optimized website with online ordering if you offer delivery.

• Set up social media accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and optionally Nextdoor and TikTok.

• Register for Bing Places, and local directories.

4. Start Social Media Teasing

• Share photos of the store build-out.

• Introduce yourself and your team.

• Poll followers about your logo, T-shirt design, or grand opening giveaways.

• Create a hashtag and start a countdown campaign.

📆 30 Days Before Opening: Announce Yourself

5. Begin Paid Ad Campaigns

• Run Facebook and Instagram ads with your opening date and location pin.

• Launch Google Ads for keywords like:

  • "laundromat near me"

  • "wash and fold [city name]"

  • “laundry delivery service”

• Target ads within a 5-mile radius of your store.

6. Distribute Print Materials

• Door hangers and flyers to nearby apartments and homes.

• Start a direct mailer campaign via USPS EDDM.

• Use QR codes to link to your website, menu of services, or pre-registration for grand opening specials.

📆 21 Days Before Opening: Build Buzz

7. Launch Referral and Loyalty Offers

• Pre-signup promo: “First 50 customers get free laundry bags or 20% off first wash & fold.”

• Launch a referral program: “Refer a friend and both get $15 off.”

• Announce a monthly giveaway—free laundry for a year? AirPods? Local restaurant gift cards?

8. Partner with Local Influencers & Businesses

• Send out sample laundry bags to local micro-influencers or bloggers.

• Drop off VIP invites and coupons to gyms, salons, coffee shops, and coworking spaces.

• Partner with nearby restaurants or delivery services for bundled promotions.

📆 14 Days Before Opening: Be Everywhere

9. Hit the Streets with Grassroots Marketing

• Hang posters at local campuses, barbershops, nail salons, libraries, payday loans stores.

• Do a laundry bag giveaway outside grocery stores or farmers markets.

• Walk busy areas with branded T-shirts and hand out coupons.

Bonus Tip: Start a Street Team

Hire a few people to help distribute flyers and door hangers. Dress them in branded gear and make it fun.

🚀 Grand Opening Week: Go Big

10. Host a Grand Opening Celebration

• Offer free wash for two weeks (or more if you can afford it).

• Set up a photo booth or selfie wall with your mascot or logo backdrop.

• Live DJ or local band? Balloons and kids' games? Make it memorable.

• Hand out bounce-back coupons to bring customers back the following week.

Pro Tip: Capture It All!

• Take lots of photos and videos for your website, social media, and future ads.

• Encourage happy customers to leave Google and Facebook reviews.

✅ Final Words: You’ve Got This!

Opening your store with a full 90-day game plan doesn't just help you survive the early days—it sets the tone for a thriving business that your community will rally behind. Stick to this roadmap, stay consistent, and stay visible. You’re not just opening a laundromat—you’re building a local brand.