First it was the discovery of pairing two simple things like peanut butter and grape jelly, then came milk and Oreos, and now, ladies and gentlemen, make way for what could be one of the most brilliant ideas to date: the laundrobar.
It’s not every day you see someone walking around the Laundromat with a bottle of Bud Light in one hand and a box of powdered Tide in the other, but at the Saga Launder Bar, located in Lakeview at 3435 N. Southport Ave., this unconventional scenario is more of a reality than a rarity.
The idea behind the Saga Launder Bar is insanely simple yet ridiculously ingenious. The Laundromat/bar combo provides a place for patrons to get their wash and drink on at the same time. Instead of reading the same magazine article over and over while waiting for a load to finish, customers can walk through a glass door leading to the adjoining Newport Bar and Grill and attempt to turn a dreaded laundry night into a diversion.
Inside, some customers gather around the bar for smokes and drinks while others chow down on burgers and fries in the restaurant’s main seating area. Those who can’t afford a drink or appetizer because they’ve spent the very last of their quarters on their most recent wash can play billiards, throw darts or watch basketball on one of the three wide-screen televisions at the bar.
“Besides the food being fairly good, it is also a pretty good place to watch sporting events,” Joe Gisondi, a Wrigleyville resident, said. “I’ve come here a couple of times to get my laundry done because I knew I could get some food and watch a game at the same time.”
Customers can choose a variety of all-American eats from a menu offering everything from brunch options like pancakes and omelettes to hearty sandwiches and pizza, all priced between $8-$15. Beer generally runs at $3.25 a bottle, $3.75 for more high-end varieties, and the bar also offers several brews on tap.
The Launder Bar boasts a super-casual atmosphere where many customers are humbly dressed in their most comfy sweats and cotton T-shirts. According to Chicago resident Anne Marie Kneebone, the Launder Bar provides patrons an opportunity to unwind in the comfortable confines of a neighborhood bar.
“The incentive to come to a place like this is that I can come home from work, put a load of laundry in and eat dinner while it’s washing without feeling like I’m wasting lots of time,” she said.And with access to 60 washers and 56 dryers, most customers say they appreciate the speedy machines and clean facilities.
“Coming here is fun, convenient and efficient,” Kneebone said. “We have our own machines at the apartment complex that I live in, but I still choose this place.”
While the establishment isn’t as swanky and hip as one might imagine it to be, it serves its purpose well. The Laundromat’s practical setting is clean and spacious enough for the serious launderer or laundress yet recreational enough to provide an enjoyable atmosphere for more lax customers to kick back and enjoy a drink after sorting whites from their colors.
According to bartender Julie Lopez, who has been working behind the bar for the past six years, the Laundromat/bar combination is home to a lot of regulars.
“I know most of the faces here. They come and drink and eat to kill time while they’re waiting for their laundry,” Lopez said. “It’s a very laid-back scene.”
Despite the stereotype of Laundromats as a perfect place for singles to meet, some, like Greg Delossantos of Wrigleyville, find that the expansive size and set-up of the Saga Launder Bar inhibits cozy exchanges between eager singles looking to wash up a weekend date.
“In the back of my head, I thought that this would be a pretty good place to meet single women, but I’ve never really had much luck,” he said. “I think a lot of people either come as couples or just come, take care of business and leave.”
But not all are skeptical. According to Belmont resident Matthew Sutter, having the bar just steps away makes it convenient to offer single women a dinner or a drink or dinner without seeming overly brash.
“It’s not something that happens all the time, but if someone catches your eye you can invite them to share a drink with you while you’re both waiting for your load to finish,” he said. “It’s the perfect set-up if the timing and the company is right.”