Laundry lockers are one of the most requested features in laundromat software, and Wash-Dry-Fold POS just shipped them. In this episode, Ian Gollahon sits down with Cole Norton, one of the developers behind the new laundry locker system, to break down how it works and why it opens up new ways to make money.

Cole walks through the full customer experience, from scheduling a locker online through the My Laundry Order app to dropping off laundry at an unattended store after hours. He explains why the system was built to work with any setup, whether you have high-tech smart lockers or just a box with a master lock on it. Ian and Cole also dig into the unattended laundromat angle: how lockers let customers drop off and pick up around the clock without staff behind the desk.

If you run a laundromat and want to grow drop-off and wash-dry-fold revenue without adding labor, this conversation lays out exactly what the new locker feature does and how to put it to work.

What you will learn:

• How the laundry locker system works with smart lockers, simple drop boxes, or anything in between

• Why lockers make unattended and after-hours drop-off possible

• How customers schedule, pay, and leave instructions through the My Laundry Order app

• Why the customer never sees a third-party marketplace, only your branded store

• How to point customers to your locker page with a website link or a printed QR code

• Why laundry lockers are included free for all Wash-Dry-Fold POS subscribers

Topics covered:

• The new Wash-Dry-Fold POS laundry locker feature

• Drop box vs. individually numbered lockers

• Running an unattended or after-hours laundromat

• Online scheduling and payment through My Laundry Order

• Branded, marketplace-free customer experience

• Growing pickup and delivery and wash-dry-fold revenue

Chapters:

00:00 Cold open

00:57 Welcome and introductions

01:58 Why laundry lockers, and how AI tools made it possible

02:50 Do you need a specific brand of locker?

04:04 Drop box vs. individual lockers

05:27 Running an unattended laundromat with lockers

07:37 The customer drop-off experience

09:04 Using lockers with or without the online app

09:39 Website links and QR codes

10:54 A branded experience with no third-party marketplace

11:28 How many lockers can you add?

13:52 Included free for all subscribers

14:10 Cole on tech support and customer feedback

15:15 Development hours and the AI advantage

16:13 Wrap-up

Hosted by Ian Gollahon, co-owner of Liberty Laundry in Tulsa, Oklahoma and co-founder of Wash-Dry-Fold POS, the original point of sale system built for laundromats.

washdryfoldpos.com

libertylaundryok.com

laundromat-ownership.com

Omer Khan is a second-generation laundromat owner running four fully attended Skyline Laundromats in Atlanta. He grew up pulling quarters on the weekends, spent a few years in corporate America, and came back to build the business into a 24-person operation where pickup and delivery is now starting to outgrow self-service.

This conversation is loaded with operator-level detail you can actually use. Omer breaks down why he's converting his back storage into a dedicated processing facility — and why Ian has watched that model succeed for owners with existing stores but fail for people who try to launch delivery-only with no demand behind it. They get into the real logistics of running self-service and wash-dry-fold under one roof without running off your self-serve customers.

Omer also tells the story of the employee who threatened to quit when he switched from Clover to Wash-Dry-Fold POS — and stayed after a Spanish-speaking coworker trained her on it in three days. Plus the night Brian built a feature request overnight at a conference, why Omer sells retail at both the counter and the vending machines, why he ripped out his ATMs, how he handles homeless activity at one tough location, and the bill breaker jams that led to Brian 3D-printing a fix. The two crazy stories at the end are worth the listen alone.

• Opening a processing facility: why it works for existing operators and fails for delivery-only startups

• Designing space for both self-service and pickup and delivery without losing your self-serve base

• The employee who almost quit over a new POS — and why she became the best on the system

• How Brian built a requested feature overnight at the Elevate Conference

• Why you sell soap and snacks at both the counter and the vending machines

• Why ATMs aren't worth the $2 fees and the headaches they bring

• Handling homeless activity and the equipment that attracts it — including the bill breaker he left out of the wall

• Bill breaker jams and Brian's 3D-printed workaround

• The ceiling heist: a thief who came in through the AC unit and cut every wire

• The phone scam that nearly cost $4,000 — and how to train your staff against it

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction

01:21 Meet Omer Khan and Skyline Laundromats

03:01 Owning vs leasing the real estate

04:44 Parking lots, water lines, and the cost of ownership

06:32 Revenue mix and pickup and delivery growth

09:08 Opening a processing facility: why it works and why it fails

13:22 Dedicating space and an animal wash station idea

16:33 The employee who almost quit over a new POS

19:11 Brian builds a feature overnight at the conference

23:41 Card systems, CCI, and Laundroworks

24:33 Machine start integrations

26:39 Why sell retail at both the counter and the vending machines

29:05 Why ATMs aren't worth the $2

30:04 Dealing with homeless activity and the equipment that attracts it

32:57 Bill breaker jams and Brian's 3D-printed fix

34:38 The craziest stories: a ceiling heist and a phone scam

44:25 Train your staff: scam red flags and metal doors

Ian Gollahon is the co-owner of Liberty Laundry in Tulsa, Oklahoma — three stores, $2.5M in revenue in 2025 — and co-founder of Wash-Dry-Fold POS, the original point of sale system built specifically for laundromats.

washdryfoldpos.com

libertylaundryok.com

laundromat-ownership.com

skylinelaundromats.com

Ian Gollahon and Brian Henderson join Randy Radtke on Alliance's Laundry Nerd Podcast to break down the new Speed Queen and Huebsch Alliance Insights API integration with Wash Dry Fold POS — the first point-of-sale system with direct machine-level access to Alliance washers and dryers.

This is a recast of the Laundry Nerd episode, shared here for owners running Speed Queen, Huebsch, or Quantum machines. Brian and Ian explain how Wash Dry Fold POS negotiated with Alliance to become the first POS partner granted this integration — it was not a public API release — and the specific employee theft and efficiency problems it solves on the wash-dry-fold side.

You'll also hear the 10-year origin story of Wash Dry Fold POS, why the company stayed "an inch wide and a mile deep" on laundromats, and the real-world results customers like Philip in Missouri are getting after enabling the integration.

Topics covered:

• How the Alliance Insights API integration with Wash Dry Fold POS actually works

• Why WDFPOS is the first and currently only POS with this level of machine integration

• Starting Speed Queen and Huebsch machines by credit card at the register

• Tracking the vend-to-wash-dry-fold ratio (around 37% benchmark) to catch employee theft

• Closing the loop between order tracking and machine starts

• The 10-year history of Wash Dry Fold POS and the 2020 cloud rebuild

• How to enable the integration (API key + equipment pairing)

• What's next on the roadmap

Chapters:

00:00 Intro from Ian — why this Alliance recast matters

02:00 Welcome to the Laundry Nerd Podcast

03:00 How Wash Dry Fold POS got started

07:00 Inch wide, mile deep on laundromats

10:00 What separates WDFPOS from dry cleaning and delivery systems

14:00 The equipment problem log and why the Alliance API fit

16:00 Why most manufacturers stayed closed — and how WDFPOS became the first partner

18:00 Top use cases: credit card starts and attendant efficiency

21:00 Philip's store in Missouri — real-world example

23:00 Connecting the two systems

25:00 Going live at Clean Show 2025 — Sharon Brinks as the pilot store

27:00 Shoutout to Alliance's digital product team

28:00 What's next — development never finishes

29:00 Where to find Wash Dry Fold POS and the podcast

Ian Gollahon co-owns Liberty Laundry in Tulsa, Oklahoma (three stores, $2.5M in 2025 revenue) and co-founded Wash Dry Fold POS, the original POS built specifically for laundromats. Over 1,200 systems sold in all 50 states.

Wash Dry Fold POS: https://www.washdryfoldpos.com

Liberty Laundry: https://www.libertylaundryok.com

Laundromat Ownership Podcast: https://www.laundromat-ownership.com

Alliance Laundry Systems: https://alliancelaundry.com

Speed Queen: https://speedqueencommercial.com

Huebsch: https://huebsch.com

Sole proprietorship, LLC, S-Corp, or C-Corp — which business entity actually makes sense for a laundromat owner? Ian Gollahon walks through every structure he's personally owned and breaks down when each one is the right call.

This episode is for anyone buying their first laundromat, scaling to multiple stores, or staring at a tax bill wondering if there's a smarter way to be set up. Ian covers why an LLC is non-negotiable before you sign a lease, the exact net profit threshold where filing as an S-Corp starts saving real money, and why C-Corp status almost never makes sense for a laundromat unless you have a very specific exit plan.

Topics covered:

• Why sole proprietorships are the most common and most underrated entity

• Why a general partnership for a laundromat would be "psychotic"

• The asset protection reason every laundromat needs an LLC before closing

• How an S-Corp election cuts the 15% self-employment tax on distributions

• Why $80K–$100K in net profit is the realistic S-Corp threshold (not the $60K marketing pitch)

• How the salary vs. distribution split actually works inside an S-Corp

• When a C-Corp makes sense — QSBS, five-year flips, and distributor showroom stores

• Why most laundromat owners should never convert to a C-Corp

Chapters:

00:00 Intro and why this matters

00:35 Sole proprietorships explained

03:00 Why partnerships are off the table for laundromats

03:45 LLCs — the asset protection vehicle every operator needs

05:15 S-Corp basics: tax filing status vs. business entity

06:30 The self-employment tax problem

08:00 How the S-Corp salary plus distribution split works

10:30 Why C-Corps rarely fit laundromats

11:15 QSBS, five-year flips, and distributor exceptions

13:00 C-Corp double taxation explained

14:30 The evolution: sole prop to LLC to S-Corp to C-Corp

16:00 Wrap-up

Ian Gollahon is the co-owner of Liberty Laundry (Tulsa, Oklahoma — 3 stores, $2.5M revenue in 2025) and co-founder of Wash Dry Fold POS, the original point-of-sale system built for laundromats.

https://www.washdryfoldpos.com

https://www.libertylaundryok.com

https://www.laundromat-ownership.com

Before Liberty Laundry hit $2.5 million in revenue in 2025, Ian Gollahon was selling billboards. This is a recast of his original interview on the Laundromat Millionaire Show — the conversation that started the Laundromat Ownership Podcast.

Ian covers how he and Brian Henderson acquired a turnkey three-store chain at $2.1M in revenue and grew it to $2.5M, all while running Wash Dry Fold POS. He breaks down the team structure behind a semi-passive laundromat — attendants, store managers, an ops manager, and a facilities manager — and explains why each layer exists.

He also gets into the fires. Three dryer fires in the first 12 months of ownership. Ian explains what caused each one, how full attendance made the difference, and why he now runs dryers at 170–175°F instead of the factory default of 190°F.

On the software side: cloud-based mobile dashboards, the first-ever Alliance machine start integration, Laundry Works and Wash Links, employee theft detection via machine start ratios, and how Wash Dry Fold POS compares to CleanCloud, Curbside, and Cents.

• Growing Liberty Laundry from $2.1M to $2.5M in revenue

• Laundry Works card system: removing coins from all three stores

• Team hierarchy: attendants, store managers, ops manager, facilities manager

• Trevor the facilities manager — the hire that changed everything

• Hiring via Indeed: filtering 100 applications down to 3 solid interviews

• Three dryer fires in year one — causes, response, and what changed

• Wash Dry Fold POS vs. CleanCloud, Curbside, and Cents

• Alliance machine start integration: what it actually does

• Catching employee theft with the 30% machine start ratio

• Credit card processing at 2.65% vs. the industry standard of 4–5%

Timestamps (verify before uploading):

0:00 Intro

1:48 Laundromat Millionaire interview begins

7:20 Acquiring Liberty Laundry

8:03 Growing revenue from $2.1M to $2.5M

11:22 The semi-passive income reality

12:37 Removing coins with Laundry Works

22:16 What semi-passive actually requires

26:35 Building the team hierarchy

33:10 The facilities manager hire

44:22 Three dryer fires in year one

48:05 Lowering dryer temps to prevent fires

53:50 Wash Dry Fold POS updates

1:01:07 Alliance machine start integration

1:08:59 Catching employee theft with machine start ratios

Ian Gollahon co-owns Liberty Laundry (Tulsa, OK — three stores, $2.5M revenue in 2025) and co-founded Wash Dry Fold POS, the original point-of-sale system for laundromats.

washdryfoldpos.com

libertylaundryok.com

laundromat-ownership.com

Sharon Brinks bought a run-down zombie mat in 2014 as a single mom looking for extra income. Today she owns two Speed Queen Touch laundromats in Wichita under the Laundry Station brand — and her store was the proving ground for the Wash Dry Fold POS + Speed Queen remote vend command integration that operators across the country now use.

This conversation goes to places most laundromat podcasts won't. Sharon explains why pickup and delivery didn't pencil for her operation, how a five-year manager she trusted completely stole from her in felony territory while she was on chemo, and why stopping quarter supply and routing customers to the counter was one of the smartest moves she ever made. She was diagnosed with breast cancer in May 2024, treated through the fall, had a lumpectomy in November, and opened her second store in August of that same year. She's now cancer-free, stronger than ever, and considering store number three.

Ian and Sharon also cover the full origin story of the Speed Queen remote vend command, what WDF order tracking looks like in a real operation, how to protect your stores from bill changer theft, and the craziest things Sharon has seen in 12-plus years of laundromat ownership.

• From zombie mat to two top-rated Wichita laundromats — Sharon's journey since 2014

• Equipment mix: no top loaders, no soft mounts, and why she'd size up on 80s next time

• Speed Queen Insights + Wash Dry Fold POS: the remote vend command origin story

• Four ways to pay — and why the bill changer is your biggest theft vulnerability

• Stopping quarter supply: cutting cash handling and routing customers to counter payment instead

• Pickup and delivery: why she walked away and what she'd tell anyone considering it

• Employee theft: a trusted five-year manager, felony-level theft, and how it happened during chemo treatment

• Rebuilding: what Sharon did after cleaning house

• Breast cancer during construction — diagnosed May 2024, chemo, lumpectomy, radiation, now cancer-free

• Mammogram PSA: early detection is what saved her life

• Craziest laundromat stories: poker chips in a washer, baby mice in a blanket, and unconscious customers

Timestamps (estimated from transcript — verify before uploading):

00:00 Introduction

01:22 About the show and Sharon's background

04:03 Why she fell in love with the laundry business

08:06 Store size, equipment mix, and what she'd change

14:31 Machine maintenance and the semi-passive myth

20:09 Speed Queen app, Insights, and payment options

23:08 Wash Dry Fold POS + Speed Queen remote vend command

33:38 WDF order tracking, timestamps, and the point-and-say method

37:59 Pickup and delivery — why they stopped

53:22 Employee theft and the bill changer problem

1:00:12 Stopping quarter supply and reducing cash handling

1:09:17 Breast cancer journey and mammogram PSA

1:15:23 Craziest laundromat stories

Ian Gollahon is the co-owner of Liberty Laundry in Tulsa, Oklahoma — three stores, $2.5M in revenue in 2025 — and co-founder of Wash Dry Fold POS, the original point of sale system built specifically for laundromats.

washdryfoldpos.com

libertylaundryok.com

laundromat-ownership.com

thelaundrystationks.com

In this special crossover episode, the tables are turned and our host Ian Gollahon (co-founder of Wash Dry Fold POS (WDF POS) gets interviewed by Steve Marcionetti on the Drive Time podcast. Together, they explore the evolution of the laundromat industry and why simplicity is the ultimate tool for growth.

Ian shares his journey from selling billboards to co-owning three high-performing laundromats in Tulsa, Oklahoma, which generated $2.5 million in top-line revenue in 2025. He discusses the "crawl, walk, run" philosophy of business, explaining why new owners should master self-serve and wash-dry-fold operations before diving into capital-intensive delivery services.

Key topics covered in this episode:

• The Power of Simplicity: Why WDF POS was designed with "big buttons" for attendants who aren't computer experts.
• Security & Efficiency: How the deep integration with CCI (Card Concepts Inc.) helps owners prevent employee theft and monitor machine-start ratios.
• The Real Cost of Delivery: Why it often takes months to see a return on delivery customer acquisition costs.
• Building a Team: Why almost every employee at WDF POS has real-world experience working in a laundromat.

• 00:00 – Intro: Ian Gollahon introduces the Liberty Laundry and WDF POS background.
• 01:21 – Start of the interview with Steve Marcionetti on Drive Time.
• 02:37 – Ian’s "origin story": From selling billboards to meeting Brian Henderson.
• 04:38 – The early days of Wash Dry Fold POS and its rapid growth.
• 07:16 – Coming into the laundry industry with zero experience.
• 09:18 – The philosophy of simplicity: Designing software for non-technical attendants.
• 13:29 – Pricing and Value: How WDF POS became the affordable market leader.
• 14:52 – The WDF POS team: Why real-world laundromat experience matters.
• 20:05 – Deep Dive: Integrating POS with CCI card systems for better security.
• 26:26 – Common Mistakes: Why first-time owners shouldn't start with delivery.
• 30:37 – Advice for distributors: Removing complications from the sale.

How much is a laundromat actually worth? In this kickoff to our valuation series, which runs alongside the CLA’s Full Cycle magazine, Ian Gollahon breaks down the two most critical pillars of your investment: Assets and Leases vs Real Estate. Ian shares insights from his $2.5M multi-store operation and 3,000+ owner interviews. In this episode, he explains why net income is often a misleading metric and how industry experts utilize Section 179 elections to minimize tax liability while maximizing cash flow. You will also learn the exact 25-year lease structure needed to protect your business's long-term value and how to negotiate a "7-month out" on personal guarantees.

00:00 Ian Gollahon Owner of $2.5M Liberty Laundry

02:15 The problem with valuation advice in online forums.

04:30 Asset Sales vs. Corporate Acquisitions: Why your tax books matter.

06:50 Identifying "Zombie Mats" and valuing used equipment.

09:15 Using Section 179 to expense $300,000 in equipment.

11:45 Why a profitable laundromat with a bad lease is worth zero.

14:20 The Ideal 25-Year Lease: The 5x5 Rule.

17:30 How to negotiate a 7-month personal guarantee.

19:50 Capping CAM fees to protect your margins.

21:40 Why owning the real estate is the ultimate de-risking strategy.

Links:

Blog Post: https://www.washdryfoldpos.com/laundromat-valuation-assets-leases-and-real-estate/
Full Article: https://laundryassociation.org/fullcycle/columns-and-departments/how-much-is-your-laundry-worth-part-1/
Liberty Laundry: https://www.libertylaundry.com/
Full Cycle Magazine (CLA): https://laundryassociation.org/fullcycle/
Wash-Dry-Fold POS: https://www.washdryfoldpos.com/

Frustrated by "no work good" post-it notes and the "headache" of tracking down model numbers in cramped crawl spaces? In this episode of Laundromat Ownership, host Ian Gollahon sits down with Sean Henderson, the original creator of the modern Laundromat Machine Repair Ticket System integrated within Wash-Dry-Fold POS.

Gone are the days of driving across town to check paper binders at different store locations. Sean shares the "in-the-trenches" story of how his experience as an operations manager for Liberty Laundry led to the development of a centralized communication tool that tracks repairs, parts, and equipment history.

• Solving the Communication Gap: Learn how an integrated system ensures attendants provide detailed reports—including sights, sounds, and smells—rather than vague notes.
• The Power of Integration: Discover why having your repair tracker inside your Point of Sale (POS) software eliminates the need for separate logins and extra employee training.
• Warranty & Cost Management: See how tracking repair history helps prevent overpaying for diagnostic "trip charges" and ensures repetitive issues are covered under warranty.
• Advanced Equipment Tracking: It’s not just for washers and dryers. Sean explains how the system manages vending machines, bill breakers, and even miscellaneous items like "clogged toilets."
• Triage and Urgency: Explore the latest "In Service vs. Out of Service" features that allow facilities managers to prioritize high-revenue machines, like 80-pound washers, on busy weekends.
• The Technician Role: Understand the "mechanical room" permission level, allowing maintenance staff to log updates via mobile without accessing sensitive financial reports or clocking in for regular staff.

Whether you are managing a single store or a 30-store chain, this episode dives deep into why a purpose-built laundromat management tool is essential for scaling your operations and keeping your floor running at maximum capacity.

Learn More at:

https://washdryfoldpos.com/
https://www.washdryfoldpos.com/laundromat-machine-repair-tracking/

Is the "coin-op" era officially over? In this episode of the Laundromat Ownership Podcast, host Ian Gollahon sits down with Matt DeWolf, the Editor-in-Chief of the CLA's (previously known as the Coin Laundry Association) newest media venture: Full Cycle. Matt shares why the industry’s flagship publication, Planet Laundry, is being retired after decades to make room for a premium, multimedia brand that reflects the modern laundry entrepreneur.

* The Rebrand to Full Cycle: Why the CLA is moving to a high-end, quarterly format focused on deep storytelling and actionable business strategies.
* Lessons from the Car Wash Industry: Matt discusses the striking parallels between laundromat evolution and the car wash consolidation curve he witnessed over the last 15 years.
* The "iPad Gimmick": Why high-tech gimmicks can't save a store in a poor location, and why customer experience remains the ultimate competitive advantage.
* The Mission of the CLA: A breakdown of the "Connect, Learn, Advocate" pillars and how the association protects owner interests at a national level.
* Starbucks in a Laundromat? Hear the story of the St. Paul operator featured on the first cover of Full Cycle who is officially licensed to serve Starbucks coffee.

1:13 - Matt’s journey from car wash media to the CLA
3:12 - What is the CLA? Connect, Learn, Advocate
5:56 - From Planet Laundry to Full Cycle: The vision
8:58 - Why the shift to a quarterly, long-form publication?
13:52 - What to expect in the first issue (March 2026)
19:48 - Case Study: The Starbucks licensed laundromat
28:04 - Comparing the laundry and car wash consolidation curves
33:34 - The "iPad Gimmick" and the importance of demand

* Full Cycle: www.FullCycleMagazine.com
* Contact Matt DeWolf: [email protected]
* Wash-Dry-Fold POS: www.washdryfoldpos.com