Law / Laundromats in Poland? Good business venture or not? [90]

I agree with the idea that Poles do not have much respect of a stranger's property. There is definitely a difference in this regard between Germany and Poland. Property is much more respected in Germany.

Laundromats in tough cities in the U.S. are not guarded but are tended to by a supervisor, employee or the owner. Someone being present would ensure a more pleasant visit for customers and would help prevent vandalism. Also, due to the blatant disregard by most Poles toward any type of public service or property, I would never leave a laundromat in Poland unattended; not in any city. The behavior of Poles is changing, but still has some way to go.

I feel that operating a laundromat in Poland is a good idea. The difficulty would be finding the capital to launch such an enterprise. Polish banks are not exactly handing out loans.

WarsawWasRaw: I agree with almost everything you have said. You seem to be a keen and colorful observer of Poland.

Admm: No, not every Pole has a machine in his or her flat.
As visitors to your wonderful country, we (outsiders) have a fresh perspective on things and this allows us to see things more objectively. Although, we (outsiders) are sometimes blinded by the fact that we so strongly compare Poland to our larger, richer and much more developed countries. Sometimes this distorts our perception of Poland.

jonsbrooks: No, I have not yet moved forward with the venture. At the moment I am busy working on a different business adventure; one that is 100% vandal-proof.

Thanks for all the wonderful comments by everyone. All opinions are welcome on this subject.

One more thing...I love Poland.

Law / Laundromats in Poland? Good business venture or not? [90]

I am not convinced that students have good, dependable access to laundry facilities. I am also not convinced that student are too cheap to make use of a laundromat (especially if a cafe or bar is attached.)

I do not agree with the idea of every business niche being filled in Poland. What I see in Poland is a bunch of the same: pizza places, pizza places, eateries all serving the exact same foods (nothing original), and more pizza places.

Everyone seems to be doing the same in Poland without any new ideas entering the scene.
When I travel by train in Poland, on weekends and especially on holidays, I see many students hauling their laundry home to be washed. Is it a stretch to picture these same students sipping a beer while their laundry is washed almost three times faster than at home?

Any laundromat would need to be full service. That means it must have dryers. There is the drawback of clothes shrinking but I don't see that as being a big problem. Some of the benefits of dryers are being able to wear your clothes the same day you wash them and having soft, fluffy clothes, unlike when they are hung to dry. My jeans sure do feel stiff after hanging on a line. Out of the dryer, they are nice and soft.

Hmm... I think this will work.
Keep the feedback coming, I appreciate everyones input.