Wash and Dry, Drink and Eat: Bims Laundry Café
Not many things in life are guaranteed. Among them: death, taxes, and laundry. Maybe someday we'll have machines in our homes that print clothes on-demand and recycle them at the end of the day, but until then, we have to wash what we wear. We heard from readers about a great place to do that down in Silver Lake: Bims Laundry Café.
Enjoy the art and something to eat while you wash // Christopher Bragg
The path that led owner David Swissa to south Everett is a long and interesting one. He spent most of his life in New York City managing midsize finance and IT businesses, eventually founding a consulting firm and moving to Bellevue in 2010. The overseas travel that came with it meant too much time away from his family, so Swissa moved to the South Everett/Mill Creek area to start an adult family home in 2013 which he owned until 2018.
A visit to a laundromat in 2019 to wash some large items made Swissa wonder how the experience could be improved. He loves to cook, so incorporating a cafe was a natural choice. July 2020 turned out to be an unfortunate time to open a business, but the community response has been positive and encouraging.
Bims Laundry is in the same complex as Ace Hardware in the Silver Lake Neighborhood // Christopher Bragg
Bims now offers dry cleaning and will soon host the region's only alcohol-free bar with live music. The minor bar renovation means you currently can't order sandwiches, soup, or salads, but there are still plenty of snacks and drinks, plus espresso. The renovation is expected to be complete sometime in early fall.
Caffeine and pastries, a complete meal in Washington // Christopher Bragg
Whether you have no machines of your own or you'd just like to get a bunch of loads washed and dried at once, Bims is a clean, bright, and relaxing place to do your laundry. Maybe your least favorite chore will become your new favorite.
Editor’s note: Linda War Bonnet has had an “opportunity” to use Bims Laundry Café recently since her washing machine is broken. She reports that David is very friendly and helpful. The laundromat is clean and kid friendly. You won’t find Jerry Springer blasting from the TV and there’s a rubber duck theme throughout the laundromat that would make a great scavenger hunt.
Bims Laundry Cafe
11014 19th Ave SE
Everett, WA 98208
425-503-4714
Christopher Bragg works from home in Everett and loves walking, swimming, and cats. You can find him all over town, but only if you keep weird hours and avoid crowds like he does.