By Sarah Fertsch
Staff Writer
It’s the Fourth of July weekend. Tens of thousands of families trek from Philadelphia to the Jersey Shore. Rental homes are completely booked and doo-wop motels don’t have any vacancy. Almost a million people gather on the sand to tan or build sandcastles, warming up to jump into the refreshingly-cold ocean.
Almost every vacationer experiences the same hiccups. Maybe they forgot to pack more than one bathing suit. Maybe the group has chosen to grab dinner at a fancy restaurant and someone forgot to pack an extra button-down shirt. Maybe a toddler spilled their lemonade on their last clean sundress. How will they survive this social catastrophe?
Cade Antonucci, a young alumnus of Holy Spirit High School in Absecon, has come up with a solution. His grandparents started Ye Olde Washaus, a laundry service chain with locations in Somers Point, Pleasantville, and Egg Harbor Township. After graduating from Auburn University, he came home to work with his family to bring laundry services into the modern world.
“Everyone wants convenience, and everyone has to do laundry,” said Antonucci. “Since August, Ye Olde Washaus now offers wash-and-fold services to residents, businesses, and vacationers.”
Ye Olde Washaus picks up soiled laundry, washes it, folds or hangs each garment, and delivers it to the original property the next day (on weekdays). Antonucci told Shore Local News that his business customizes each load to the customer’s requests. For example, they can add fabric softener, tumble dry, or wash on a delicate cycle.
On running a laundry service business, Antonucci says that “it’s surprisingly tough.” “People don’t realize that it’s a full-time job between machine repairs, supply chain orders, and working with customers,” he said.
Antonucci says that he is incredibly thankful to work with his grandparents and mother in his hometown. His grandparents plan on retiring this year, so Antonucci has been stepping up as a leader, as well as taking advice from his elders. This year, Antonucci built the business’s first website (in its thirty years of existence), and set up credit card payments for laundromat services.
On their website, in the ‘about us’ section, it reads, “We are a proud family-owned business and have been in service in our community for 32 years. Cynthia and Butch Drozdov started off with purchasing their first store in Somers point in 1990 then fell in love with the business and purchased our Egg Harbor Township and Pleasantville stores in 1995 and 1998. Ever since then we have been a staple in the local community by providing laundry service. 32 years later Cynthia and Butch are ready to retire, and their daughter and grandson will be taking over the family business. Rommi (their daughter) is a loving mother who has worked at Ye Olde Washaus since the beginning. Cade (their grandson) is a recent Auburn University graduate and laundry enthusiast. Under the new leadership we plan on taking customer service to the next level providing the cleanest, most family friendly environment around!
“We are the best at what we do, and we make it convenient to get your chores done,” said Antonucci. “Because we handle your laundry, you have time to focus on your life, whether you are focused on work, spending time with family or pursuing your dream.”
For more information on Ye Olde Washaus, check out their website at https://www.yeoldewashaus.com/.
