East Coast Laundry Systems is pleased to congratulate Jonathan Bower on opening The Sud Shack, a bright, modern, and uniquely designed self-service laundromat located at 135 Old Port Mouton Road in Liverpool, Nova Scotia.
What began as a single-family home has been completely transformed into a laundromat featuring commercial Huebsch and Domus laundry equipment, large-capacity washers and dryers, and a modern Laundroworks card payment system.
The laundromat is open daily from 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., giving Liverpool-area residents a convenient place to wash everything from regular household laundry to oversized comforters and sleeping bags.
Photo: Renovated exterior and The Sud Shack Laundromat logo
Transforming a House into a Community Laundromat
Before becoming The Sud Shack, the building was a single-family home located next to West End Convenience, another business owned by Jonathan.
Jonathan’s interest in opening a laundromat began several years earlier when he was considering the purchase of two businesses, one of which included an existing laundromat. Although that purchase did not move forward, the idea stayed with him.
“We just thought a new, up-to-date modern laundromat would be a benefit to the town,” Jonathan explained.
When Jonathan acquired the property beside West End Convenience nearly six years ago, the original plan was to convert the house into a restaurant. Over time, he lost his appetite for the restaurant concept, but the location still presented an opportunity.
Instead of moving into a traditional commercial space, Jonathan decided to renovate the house and incorporate it into a larger vision for this corner of Liverpool. The goal was to take advantage of the traffic already visiting West End Convenience, expand the parking area, and eventually create an outdoor seating space between the two businesses.
“We wanted to create a hub in this corner of town,” Jonathan said. “It wasn’t the easiest way to go, but it seemed like the best method for us.”
Photo: Original house before renovation
Building a Laundromat in a Residential Property
Converting an existing house into a commercial laundromat required careful planning. The renovation took approximately three to four months and involved significant changes to the structure, utilities, and interior layout.
One of the main challenges was addressing the differences between residential and commercial building requirements. Additional reinforcement was completed in the basement to support the concentrated weight of the commercial laundry equipment installed along one side of the building.
Water supply was another important consideration. Commercial washers require a dependable volume of water, particularly when several machines are filling at the same time. To help meet that demand without increasing the size of the city water line entering the property, a water holding tank was installed in the basement.
The tank stores water and helps provide the washers with an adequate supply during periods of simultaneous demand. It is an important piece of infrastructure that customers will rarely see, but one that contributes to the efficient operation of the laundromat.
East Coast Laundry Systems assisted with the equipment selection, design, and layout. The objective was to create a practical customer flow while fitting an effective mix of washer and dryer capacities into the building.
Vaulted Ceilings Open Up the Interior
One of the most striking features inside The Sud Shack is its vaulted ceiling.
The original renovation plans called for a conventional flat, eight-foot ceiling. During construction, the decision was made to vault the ceiling instead. The change completely transformed the interior, making the laundromat feel larger, brighter, and more open.
“I am happy we did the vaulted ceilings,” Jonathan said. “That wasn’t part of the original plan. It was going to be eight-foot tall, and it just completely changed the space.”
Customer reaction since the soft opening has been overwhelmingly positive. One visitor from Ontario commented that the new laundromat made her feel as though she were in a laundromat in New York City, describing the space as new and fancy.
Photo: Vaulted ceiling in the Laundromat
Large-Capacity Laundry Equipment for Liverpool
One of the most important needs identified during the planning process was access to large-capacity laundry equipment.
Jonathan said members of the community had been asking for newer and larger machines. Some Liverpool-area residents were travelling to Bridgewater when they needed to wash bulky items such as comforters and sleeping bags or larger multifamily loads.
The Sud Shack was designed to provide those options locally while also offering appropriately sized machines for everyday household laundry.
Equipment supplied for The Sud Shack
Washers
8 Huebsch 21-pound front-load washers
4 Domus 40-pound soft-mount washers
Dryers
2 Domus 50-pound stacked tumble dryers
2 Domus 35-pound stacked tumble dryers
2 Huebsch 21-pound stacked dryers
In total, The Sud Shack offers twelve washers and twelve dryer pockets, with a range of capacities for regular and oversized laundry. The Domus tumble dryers also feature durable stainless-steel baskets.
Photo: Large-capacity Domus and Huebsch Dryer lineup, and stainless steel dryer baskets
Modern Laundroworks Card Technology
Rather than relying on traditional coin operation, The Sud Shack uses a Laundroworks card payment system.
Every washer and dryer is equipped with a contactless card reader connected through an internal wireless network. Customers can start a machine by presenting a reusable, custom-branded Sud Shack laundry card to the reader.
Photo: The Sud Shack Custom Laundry Card
Customers can purchase a new card or add value to an existing card at the 15-inch touchscreen Laundroworks Value Add Center. The all-in-one kiosk accepts cash, credit, and debit payments and includes a bill acceptor and receipt printer.
The Sud Shack also offers text message and email notifications that let customers know when their laundry cycles are finishing.
Jonathan noted that some older customers were initially a little intimidated by the card technology. Once they completed the process for the first time, however, most found it easy to use.
Photo: Laundroworks Value Add Center
Convenient, and Designed for the Future
The Sud Shack is currently an unattended laundromat, but it has been designed to offer customers a comfortable and convenient experience.
Amenities include free Wi-Fi, customer seating, stainless steel folding tables, cycle-completion notifications, and a robotic floor cleaner to help maintain the laundromat.
Future plans include adding an all-in-one video game arcade system and a pinball machine. Combined with the planned outdoor seating area between The Sud Shack and West End Convenience, these additions support Jonathan’s larger vision of creating an inviting community hub.
Equipment Installation, Startup, and Training
The installation included delivery, unloading, uncrating, rigging, placement, and levelling of the equipment. Once the installation was complete, an East Coast Laundry technician commissioned the machines and provided operational training.
Projects like The Sud Shack demonstrate that successful laundromat development involves much more than selecting equipment. The layout, structural support, water availability, utilities, customer flow, payment technology, installation, startup, and training all need to work together. These considerations become especially important when converting an existing residential building into a commercial laundry operation.
A New Laundry Experience for Liverpool
In only a few months, Jonathan Bower and his team transformed a single-family house into a welcoming, technology-enabled laundromat with equipment for loads of all sizes.
Most importantly, The Sud Shack gives Liverpool-area residents local access to large-capacity washers and dryers for comforters, sleeping bags, oversized items, and everyday laundry.
East Coast Laundry Systems would like to thank Jonathan for the opportunity to assist with this unique project. We congratulate everyone involved in bringing The Sud Shack to life and wish Jonathan and his team continued success.
Visit The Sud Shack
The Sud Shack Laundromat
135 Old Port Mouton Road
Liverpool, NS B0T 1K0
Hours: 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., seven days a week