LAUNDRÉ’s Cafe In The Mission Closes
Upon first seeing ‘LAUNDRÉ’ opening on Mission st a couple of years ago, I have to admit I was confused. First by what language the name “LAUNDRÉ’ is supposed to be in. It’s not Spanish or English, it kind of sounds French but it’s not French…the owner’s name is ‘Arianna Roviello’, so I thought it might be Italian, but it’s not that either. I think it might be written in some kind of millennial dialect that I’m not hip enough to understand?
In any case, the place stands out like a sore thumb, on a street with very few modern-looking storefronts, this spot screams ‘Pac-Heights’ in the middle of a traditionally Latinx neighborhood. But as of Monday, Laundré will no longer be a modern coffee shop and laundromat because they’re shuttering the cafe portion to focus on just laundry.
Laundré Instagram post states:
Hi neighbors and friends!
After sincere thought and consideration, we’ve decided to usher in a new chapter at Laundré.
Beginning on August 12th we will be closing the cafe to allow for greater focus and energy on the laundromat portion of Laundré!
We are endlessly appreciative of everyone’s support and for those who have found a home in the cafe over the past 2 years. We look forward to you continuing to wash with us!
Love,
Ari
There’s a reason why Valencia st. and Mission st. are yards apart from one another yet look completely different now. Mission St. has influential neighborhood coalitions and groups protecting it from gentrification, while Valencia St…has become more of a gentrification free for all. Last year members of United To Save the Mission along with other neighborhood coalitions, sat down with Roviello to talk to her about Laundre’s lack of Spanish signage and it’s air of ‘exclusivity’. (The private meeting was well reported by Mission Local).
I remember chatting with a business owner on Mission St. last summer who didn’t have anything nice to say about their new neighbor. There was a significant backlash against the splashy, modern-looking business, owned by a young white lady whose slogan was ‘Wash your Fashion!’. It’s not easy to do business in the Mission, if you don’t have deep community ties or make an effort to grow them. It’s clear that ‘LAUNDRÉ has been trying to get a beer and wine license to bolster its cafe sales, and wasn’t granted one.
Laundré, 2401 MISSION ST. SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94110
Owner Roviello is originally from Sonoma and studied at Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising (FIDM) in San Francisco, (you can read all about her and her biz here). She seems like a real nice lady, and from what we can tell, lots of other people like her laundromat, because it’s clean, safe, has WiFi, and laundromats are few and far between in the area.
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