Bay Coin Laundromat welcomes customers

Robylin Bautista, owner of Bay Coin Laundromat, welcomed Valley residents and business owners during the official opening of her business on October 7. Bautista and her husband have owned the property at 52 Bay Street for the past seven years. After researching various options, they eventually settled on a plan and started renovating the building last year. The entrepreneurial couple (he still runs a handyman business in Toronto where Bautista had a cleaning business) decided that a laundromat would work in Barry’s Bay, along with a basement rental unit. Bautista’s friendly, outgoing personality is evident, and judging by the online reviews of her AirB&B studio apartment, customers can expect a consistently warm welcome.

Above: Robilyn Bautista; book corner in laundromat

The laundromat is designed to meet customers’ needs in many ways:

• Open daily from 8 a.m. until 7 p.m. daily (closes at 6 p.m. on Sundays)
• Six washers, seven dryers (including large load capacity machines)
• Free WiFi, TV
• Comfortable couch, coffee table, desk, chairs, and even a book corner
• Plenty of potted plants and flowers to brighten the homey atmosphere
• Bautista says she also offers a service laundry, priced by weight

Residents and business owners  including BIA members popped in throughout the day for cake and a sample of Bautista’s home made spring rolls and fried noodles. For some visitors at the Grand Opening, it was more than a chance to say hello and share some delicious food – it was an opportunity to get some washing done right in town. Among the first customers were father and son duo Daniel Halliday (Sr. and Jr.) Photo. When told how nice it was to see inter-generational joint housekeeping duties, Halliday Sr. pointed to his son and joked: “He dirties the clothes, and I wash them.”