The Time Subway Was Inside A Laundromat

Living in an apartment is convenient in many ways. If something breaks, you just call the property manager rather than deal with scheduling plumbers or other repair staff. But doing laundry is often inconvenient unless your building has on-site laundry facilities. What if you could combine laundry day with sandwich day?

A "Lucy's Laundry Mart" location in Los Angeles, California once shared its location with a Subway Sandwich Shop, per CNN Money. Guests could enjoy their favorite sub while waiting for their clothes to dry. Based on the Yelp reviews, some enjoyed the convenience. "Nestled in between the only Starbucks and the only Subway in Echo Park, Lucy's Laundry Mart sits as a solid, reliable, safe place to do your laundry any time of the day." one Yelp reviewer commented in 2007. "They have video games in the corner, Subway sandwiches for purchase, and a mini-Starbucks not to mention TV screens playing Spanish soap operas and the evening news."

It seems that other Yelpers weren't as impressed. "It's soooo bad, that Starbuck's & Subway both left the venue. True they are now just a couple store fronts away, but they did leave the vending area inside the Lucy's," claimed another Yelp reviewer in 2008. It appears that Lucy's Laundry Mart location as well as the Subway have both closed, according to Yelp. It turns out others tried combining the laundromat with a restaurant with varying results.

In 2013 Bon Appétit published an article featuring seven laundrobars around the world. A laundrobar is apparently a restaurant or bar within a laundromat. One bar featured was "A Bar of Soap" in Asheville, SC, which was a laundromat, used book store, and cafe bar all in one. However, in 2015 it announced on Facebook, "It's with a heavy heart that we say goodbye."

However, "Harvey Washbangers" of College Station, Texas seems to be faring better. According to its website, "Let's face it: laundromats can be sketchy. But they don't have to be." While doing your laundry, you can enjoy Texas craft beer, burgers, and other pub fare in the family-friendly restaurant. Trivia nights, beer flight nights, and other events round out the experience. There's even a light board to let diners know when their laundry is ready.

Another college town, Corvallis, Oregon is home to Suds and Suds bar and laundromat. It's affiliated with Woodstock's Pizza so guests may enjoy pizza and beer while they do their laundry, per Woodstock's Pizza. It also hosts regular cribbage tournaments. One Yelp reviewer commented in 2011, "Go, eat, drink, be merry and have clean underwear, all at the same time." If you like the idea of enjoying a meal while you do laundry, your best bet may be moving to a college town.