Our Community Laundromat o ers more than clothes cleaning services. Following is a look at some of the enrichment programs it o ers: Wash and Read: The program promotes reading by o ering youngsters coins for nishing books. The coins go toward their family's laundry services.

Senior services: The laundromat o ers dedicated wash times for seniors from 7 a.m.-noon each Tuesday. Seniors can also participate in activities such as exercise classes.

Community Conversations: A series of talks focused on subjects affecting the Black community. The first, on sleep apnea, is set for 10 a.m. June 24.

of Brintley’s medical practice.

Pruitt said Brintley’s newest business has the potential to be a beacon of light for the community.

“(Brintley) is all about giving back to the community,” Pruitt said. “We haven’t been open too long, but we get kids in here reading the books all the time. e older residents like the exercise classes. is can be a beautiful thing.”

Eggs in one basket

Brintley purchased the 8,600-square-foot space in June for $230,000 and so far has put about $1.2 million into the business, installing a new roof and making it over.

Brintley said to fund the business she’s used her retirement and life insurance accounts, in addition to taking out personal loans. Brintley also earned a $75,000 cash grant from Motor City Match last year.

“When I started to see my money go down in the (stock) market, I decided to take it out and invest in something with a better (return on my investment),” Brintley said. “I grew up in the Highland Park area. I had a conversation with the Lord one night about a laundromat at Woodward and Six Mile. I’d been there a lot and I remember it being dilapidated and needing work. I wanted to change the outlook of that neighborhood, but it didn’t work out.

“ en I found the space on Schaefer. e previous owner had a commitment to sell to a Black entrepreneur and keep the business in the Black community. We bonded over that. ... is isn’t just a laundromat. It’s an investment in the community.”

Fail-proof business

Brintley has entered an arena in which it is di cult to fail.

e laundry industry has about a 95% success rate, with businesses av- eraging 20%-35% ROI, according to Martin Ray Laundry Systems LLC. Brintley’s is one of about 35,000 laundromats in the U.S., a network that brings in about $5 billion in annual revenue.

Brintley did not provide speci c revenue gures or projections for her laundromat.

“With the space we have, the amount of washers and dryers we have, the capacity for high earnings potential is great,” she said. “As we generate more revenue, we can pour more into the city through various programs like what we o er now.”

Detroit o cials share that hope.

Sean Gray, Detroit Economic Growth Corp. vice president for small business services, said Our Community Laundromat has the potential to be a mainstay in the area.

“Laundromats have been a mainstay in communities for decades, but not all are created equal. Our Community Laundromat is not only pro- viding an essential service for Detroiters but giving back to the community substantially,” Gray said in a city news release in March. “We hope its opening will inspire others to make a di erence in their neighborhood.”

Brintley believes the laundromat can be a place that helps Bethune Community residents grow.

“I remember as a kid seeing neighbors all the time, just people being around celebrating one another, protecting one another,” Brintley said.

“We all have the potential to help one another — take each other’s hand and guide each other. at’s generational. I know that’s why I’m here. It would have been easy to just open a business and try to make money o of it, but this is more than that for me. is is something that I think can transform the neighborhood and the people in it.”

Contact: jason.davis@crain.com (313) 446-1612; @JayDavis_1981