Community saved Del Mar laundromat, new local owner keeps it clean

Beachside Laundromat, a local laundry amenity in Del Mar for 30 years, is under new ownership and in May unloaded some improvements to make for a better customer experience.

Last year the laundromat, previously known as Del Mar Coin Laundry, almost didn’t survive. In June 2018 the landlord had decided not to renew the lease and the community was devastated. A petition started circulating on Nextdoor and online, pleading “SOS: Save Our Suds.”

Per the petitioners, the laundromat was a valuable resource for the residents of the nearby apartments that do not have laundry hook-ups as well as for beach tourists—it is particularly busy during the fair and racetrack seasons. It was the only facility in North County with big enough commercial machines capable of large loads and the only facility around that could do in a pinch when locals’ home machines are broken.

The petition generated enough support to get center owner Donuhue Schriber’s attention.

“I was impressed that the community came together to save it,” said new owner Ida Mashike, a Carmel Valley resident who herself was often a customer at the laundromat, washing comforters and sleeping bags after camping trips. “The community really made a difference.”

Mashike grew up in Solana Beach and is a Torrey Pines High School graduate. For several years her parents owned the Denny’s on Via de la Valle as well as the Texaco station (now the Shell) on Del Mar Heights Road. She likes to say she grew up under the tables of the local businesses.

With a career owning several restaurants in downtown San Diego, she was looking for something completely new.

“I was craving to be a part of this community,” she said.

As well as being the community she grew up in, it is the community where she has raised her family.

Her husband Mark runs Results Chiropractic in Carmel Country Plaza and her three boys attended Carmel Valley schools—her youngest is at Carmel Del Mar and two sons were at Torrey Pines High School this year—her eldest son just graduated as part of the class of 2019.

While she was exploring laundromats as a potential new venture, by chance she was approached by someone with the petition to save the coin laundry during a visit to Beachside Del Mar.

“It was quite organic how it happened,” Mashike said. “Once we found out the landlord was not renewing with the current tenant, we were able to work it out so that there would be a nice, improved amenity and the community would keep the laundromat.”

The first step was a total refresh of the space, which hadn’t been touched since the 1980s. Mashike put in all new flooring, paint and even a new ceiling.

“What I noticed is the laundromat is one of the few spots where you see people genuinely interacting,” Mashike said. “There’s not a lot of distractions and there’s a lot of downtime so you just see people chatting it up.”

She heard from some seniors that they like to stop in even when they don’t have a load, just to be able to talk to somebody every day.

To help pass the time, she added a lending library as well as a counter with barstools with plug-ins for laptops, allowing people to sit with a view out the front window.

The laundromat offers an in-house fluff and fold service and Mashike teamed up with GoodLife Laundry to add a pick-up and delivery service which will serve all of San Diego with a dedicated focus on Carmel Valley, Del Mar, Solana Beach, Fairbanks Ranch and Rancho Santa Fe.

“We live in paradise and if we can be a part of freeing up some valuable time and getting their laundry done then that’s what we would do,” Mashike said.

The online service just launched this week at goodlifelaundry.com—customers can now sign up to have clothes picked up, washed, folded and delivered back to them the very next day.

Mashike is in the process of selling her last restaurant as she turns her attention to the laundromat full time.

“I’m having a lot of fun with it,” Mashike said. “I’m meeting great people and having great chats. People are so genuinely grateful that it’s still here and that it’s improved.”

She said she finds herself blushing at the compliments, “Many are saying that it is the nicest and cleanest laundromat they have used.”

Beachside Laundromat is located at 2676 Del Mar Heights Road in Del Mar. For more information visit delmarlaundromat.