Meet Tim Richardson of Deluxe Laundry Spa

Today we’d like to introduce you to Tim Richardson.

Hi Tim, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
My journey started in a way most people don't expect when they walk into their neighborhood laundromat.
I met Mary in 1981 through a mutual friend, fell madly in love, and married her in 1983. Since
finding my soulmate, she has been my partner through everything that came next. Everything.
She steadfastly supported me as I broke a 133-year record, becoming the first African American
Honor Cadet (Valedictorian) to graduate first in my class at the LA County Sheriff's Academy.
That was a milestone, sure, but it was just the beginning. While working graveyard shift as a
deputy at Men's Central Jail, I went to law school during the day. Most people thought I was
crazy working full-time in law enforcement, grinding through law books and briefing cases while
the inmates slept. But Mary never doubted it.
I resigned from the Sheriff's Department in my senior year of law school and began clerking at a
Newport Beach civil litigation firm. While working there doing all the duties of an attorney, I
became disillusioned with the practice of law. After earning my JD in 1987, I decided to take
another direction—studying for the bar felt like a waste of time. I had watched attorneys grind
through paperwork for billable hours manually tallying the hours. I was tasked with finding a
litigation software to upgrade the firm. I found one. It worked. I studied it, learned and
mastered it. I eventually learned how to make custom programs with it. That is when the
lightbulb went off.
Then came the pivot that surprised everyone, including me. In 1988, I started my first
business—a sales company for the litigation software that I introduced my firm to. I saw an
opportunity to help other law firms work smarter and build the sales team, as an authorized
reseller of this software from the ground up. I built it, grew the client portfolio, and eventually
sold it. Then I did it again. And, again with the largest move: my credit card processing sales
organization. Three businesses same formula—identify a need, build the portfolio, sell it for x-
multiple, move on.
But here is the thing: after three exits, the formula started feeling hollow. We'd made money,
we'd proven we could build successful companies, but so what? What were we leaving behind?
What about my 3rd Act, going into my mid 60’s?
That question hit home when Mary's sister was treated for breast cancer at Torrance Memorial
Medical Center, where Mary was born. After a 37-year career at Honeywell Aerospace, Mary
had retired and was looking for something to be part of. She saw the folks in blue coats assisting

patients, including her sister, and inquired about their duties. She wanted to be part of that, and
she did. She joined two different volunteer groups and has been volunteering there since 2017.
There she found that Torrance Memorial wasn't just a hospital, it was where lives got saved,
people were treated, and families found hope. Mary and I realized we wanted to build
something that would support that mission for decades. But I needed a vehicle to do that.
So, in 2022, after searching for an industry that fit my formula, I chose the laundry business.
Yeah, laundry. People look at me like I've lost my mind. But here's why it works: the laundry
business is recession-proof. Clothes will always get dirty. It survived the COVID pandemic as an
exempt industry. And unless you live in a nudist colony, you'll always need clothes. But I wanted
to take it a few steps further, adding luxury to the experience, expanding into a niche luxury
self-serve and commercial environment, and adding my other business experiences to the mix.
We're not running a coin laundromat; it's coinless (no quarters accepted). We're using ozone-
sanitizing technology, custom wash cycles programmed for special washing, think
hypoallergenic, with soft jazz music playing in the background and a custom internet bar in our
store. No sports, news, or soap operas on our two 82" monitors. Folks say it's a "peaceful,"
"serene," and "calming" environment to do their laundry.
But the real difference is this: I got into this business to sell it. Mary and I have committed to
building and selling the Deluxe Laundry Spa brand over a 10-year period and will donate 80% of
the net proceeds to Torrance Memorial Medical Center. Ten percent goes to our employees, the
people who show up every day and do the work, and we will keep the remaining 10% to fuel
future growth and new ventures that multiply this impact.
This isn't charity. It's a business model designed to give back at scale. In addition to my 10-year
plan we also plan to create a sustainable funding stream that outlives us both. We have made
Torrance Memorial Medical Center Foundation the main beneficiary in our Irrevocable Will.
That's the legacy we're building, not another successful exit, but something that keeps giving
long after we're gone.
That's the story. From breaking barriers in law enforcement to building businesses to finally
building something that matters beyond the bottom line.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Smooth road? Not even close. Building Deluxe Laundry Spa has been one of the hardest things I've done, and I worked graveyard shift at Men's Central Jail while going to law school during the
day, so my bar for "hard" is pretty high.
The timeline alone tells the story. The existing laundromat had been closed for four years when I
decided to negotiate a 20+ year lease. The lease negotiations took five months longer than I
anticipated. Every step felt like pushing a boulder uphill.
Then came the credibility problem. Finding a manufacturer’s distributor (who sell the washers
and dryers) to even speak with a newbie proved challenging. They apparently only like talking to
existing laundromat owners, which I wasn't. I had to research and interview many industry
experts and eventually contracted with a coach to help me with planning my store and get
introductions. That accelerated the process, but it was another lesson in having to prove myself
in an industry where I had no track record.
Negotiating the equipment I wanted, the architectural drawings I needed, and the costs and
deposits required took another three months. Then came the utilities nightmare. The gas
company didn't have the premises address on file—they had removed the gas meter four years
ago. I had to pay full price for a new one. The deposits required from the utilities were insane.
I was told the buildout would take about five months. It took nine. Building permit delays, gas
and water utility delays, general time restraints, you name it, it delayed us. And the budget? I
estimated the funds needed and planned accordingly. That budget was overrun by 55%. Dig
deep and have extra funds if you’re getting into this game!
Then came opening day: December 13, 2024. I finally opened too much fanfare. Sixty brand new
washers and dryers, new everything, sparkling and shining. Lights on, floors sparkling and
windows glistening. The first five customers, who come in by 10 am, get their laundry for FREE!
No one showed up for seven hours. Talk about a kid waiting for Santa Claus. I sat there
wondering if I'd made the biggest mistake of my life. After three successful businesses, after all
that planning and vision, I was staring at an empty store wondering if anyone would ever walk
through that door.
Then around 4:36 p.m., two women and a child walked in, (grandmom, daughter and child).
They looked around and asked if I was open. YES! They became customer number one! That was
it, day one, one customer. But, by the end of the first week, we had about 30 customers wonder

in! By the end of the first month, over a fifty. Word travels fast when you deliver something
people didn't know they were missing.
But that was 14 months ago. In March 2025 we started a CENTS/Laundroworks membership
program, and today, Deluxe Laundry Spa is thriving with over 800 members, new customers
coming in daily and becoming members, and growing commercial and residential pickup and
delivery business. The obstacles were real, the setbacks were frustrating, but we pushed
through.
Here's what I learned: every business has a ramp-up period. The vision doesn't become reality
overnight. You need stamina, extra capital, and the ability to keep believing when no one shows
up for seven hours on opening day. Mary never doubted it. Just like she believed when I was at
the Sheriff's Academy, when I was in law school, when I started that first business, she believed
in this. And that belief kept me going when I sat, alone in our empty store for seven hours. And
neither did I, not really. We knew what we were building, and we knew it would work. It just
took longer and cost more than we planned.
That's entrepreneurship. That's the real story. And unlike my first three businesses, this one isn't
about the exit, it's about what the exit will fund. That's what makes my 3rd Act different from
the first two.

Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Deluxe Laundry Spa?

WHAT WE'RE KNOWN FOR
We're known for transforming a mundane chore into a pleasant and relaxing laundry
experience. From our soft jazz music and peaceful environment to the friendly attendants and
the hands-on approach from me, giving tours and laundry tips throughout the day to
newcomers and veteran laundry folks alike.

WHAT SETS US APART
Prior to signing the lease, this space was closed and sat empty for four years because a new 24-
hour laundromat was built and operated in the next parking lot, some 10 years ago. Industry
standards say never open a store near a competitor, not even two blocks away, but next door? I
saw it differently, do everything differently and give customers a choice. I decided to do just
that.
My store is 4,100 square feet, with an additional 1,104 square feet added recently for our
expanding pickup and delivery operations. Here's what most people miss: I didn't build this for
the typical self-service revenue like typical laundromats. I built it for a massive commercial
division, but the luxury self-service amenities are designed to give the community an experience
that is probably only available on the Westside of Los Angeles, or in Orange County.
Every design choice was intentional, from our underground electrical conduit, removing the
stained drop ceilings, opening up it completely, and painting it black for a high-end restaurant
aesthetic, installing lockers, and adding a membership kiosks for exclusivity. Between my
Sheriff's background and 10 years in global security, I built operational protocols and installed
28+ surveillance cameras that prevent incidents before they happen, and with high-definition
resolution, it they do. We operate 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., business hours, no 24-hour chaos.

BEST-IN-CLASS TECHNOLOGY

I didn't compromise on equipment. Speed Queen HE washers and dryers controlled in the cloud
for instant response. CENTS cashless readers and QR Codes at every machine. Laundroworks
VAC for all payment types. Salto access control. Lutron lighting automation. Rockville sound with
jazz I personally curated. Every vendor thought I was over-engineering a laundromat. I wasn't
building a laundromat; I was building a scalable luxury brand.
I pulled elements from restaurants, airports, lounges, and night clubs to create something that I
think never existed in this industry.
WHAT I'M MOST PROUD OF

I'm proud that the model actually works. Everyone thought giving away 80% of the sale
proceeds was crazy, including my friends, family, distributors, and industry veterans. But 14
months in, we're expanding. We're hiring. We're serving self-serve and commercial clients who
took a chance on a newcomer. One commercial account told me she'd been looking for this level
of service for five years!
I'm proud that my team shows up every day believing in something bigger than washing clothes,
they're funding life-saving healthcare.
I'm proud that we have proved you can bring premium service to any neighborhood that wants
it. I'm proud that Mary and I are building something that outlives us both, not another business
exit, but a sustainable funding stream for Torrance Memorial that keeps giving decades after
we're gone.
Most of all? I'm proud we leased and totally renovated the location nobody wanted and turned
it into proof that vision beats conventional wisdom every time. Turns out, being underestimated
is an advantage. People don't see you coming.

WHAT READERS SHOULD KNOW
This is a 10-year commitment to scale and sell, with proceeds going 80% to Torrance Memorial
Medical Center, 10% to employees, and 10% to future ventures. We're not just running a
laundry business, we're proving that entrepreneurship with purpose isn't just possible, it's
profitable. This is my 3rd Act, and it's the one that actually matters. Not because the first two
didn't count, but because they taught me how to build something that lasts longer than I will.

Let’s talk about our city – what do you love? What do you not love?
I was born and raised in Los Angeles but moved and spent almost 30 years in Orange County, so coming back 15 years ago felt like coming home. What I love most about LA is the diversity and
tapestry of this city. It has everything you could look for—culture, arts, science, music, (did I
mention diversity?), education, and of course business. There's an energy here that doesn't exist
anywhere else. You can be whomever you want to be, build whatever you want to build, and
find your people along the way.
That's exactly what happened with Deluxe Laundry Spa. This city had a vacant space to re-build
something unconventional, something that doesn't fit any traditional mold; the family real
estate firm that owns the center believed in in my vision, and so did I. That's what LA does, it
lets you break the rules as long as you do it with excellence.
The only thing that gets me but I'm used to it by now, is the traffic. It's the price we pay for living
in a city this vibrant and sprawling. But honestly? It's a small trade-off for everything else LA
gives you.

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