Host Matt DeWolf talks with Amy Knopf and Avi Robbins, co-founders of A+ Laundry in Atlanta, about leaving private equity careers to build a laundry business from the ground up.

Knopf and Robbins both spent years in private equity before deciding to strike out on their own. Knopf's background is in commercial real estate, where she spent 14 years as an owner and operator across office, retail and multifamily properties. Her family has also run a commercial laundry business in Ohio for 95 years, giving her an early connection to the industry. Robbins spent about 15 years running manufacturing businesses for private equity firms, focused on launching new products in the medical and life science space. The two have known each other for more than 10 years, and after independently considering their next moves, they landed on laundry as an industry with room to grow.

They founded A+ Laundry in February 2025 and spent months evaluating opportunities across the greater Atlanta area, which has more than 300 laundromats. Their first deal came together quickly after a seller who had discovered that laundry wasn't for them agreed to terms within days, though the lease assignment process with the property owner delayed closing until September. They also acquired a pickup and delivery business built on two decades of paper-based routes, which they have since moved to a digital system for online requests and route optimization.

Much of the conversation centers on how Knopf and Robbins approached retooling their first laundromat. They redesigned the customer flow, moving the attendant desk and payment center to the front of the store so staff can greet customers as they arrive. New lighting, paint and a dedicated welcome area were part of an effort to create what Knopf calls a better laundry day, whether customers use the physical location or the pickup and delivery service.

Robbins and Knopf also discuss the operational lessons they have picked up along the way, including the importance of finding a trusted equipment distributor, budgeting realistically for marketing and community outreach, and building technology tools that let them monitor equipment and supply levels remotely. Knopf notes that A+ Laundry's tagline, "It's about time," reflects their focus on saving time for both their team and their customers.

The two close by sharing what has surprised them most since launching the business, including how deeply they have become involved in community events, and by offering listeners a piece of advice each: start fresh each day and give it full effort, and take time to listen closely to what customers, employees and potential sellers actually need.

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