Green Laundry Lounge puts a new spin on laundry and dining
If you’re looking for some of the most authentic and flavorful Indian food in the Upstate, all you need to do is head to the laundromat.
That might sound like an odd statement, but for those familiar with Green Laundry Lounge, one of the most unique businesses in the country, it’s actually not so strange.
“At first it was a little difficult, because people just didn’t get the idea. They were a little confused,” says Green Laundry Lounge owner Jay Desai. “But over time, as more people started coming in, they realized what we’re doing here, and now they tell us, ‘This really is pretty amazing.’”
To understand the appeal of Green Laundry Lounge, one first needs to understand what the business is all about. Since opening in 2022, Green Laundry Lounge has become a word-of-mouth hit with locals, owing to its odd combination of services under one roof.
Green Laundry Lounge Services
It offers, in no particular order:
- An eco-friendly, luxury laundromat experience
- Chemical-free dry-cleaning services
- Fresh coffee and chai tea
- A craft beer and artisanal wine bar
- A bubble tea bar
- A play area for children
- A farm-to-table fast-casual Indian restaurant
- A showcase for local artists
If that sounds like a strange hodgepodge of offerings, Desai will likely agree, although he hopes one will pause to consider why he chose to combine those concepts in one location.
“Years ago, my wife and I were watching a show on Netflix and I saw a really crappy laundromat, a place no one would ever want to go to,” says Desai, who is a mechanical engineer by trade and who has lived with his family in Greer for more than a decade. “I thought to myself, ‘Why can’t we change that?’”
While many people today do their laundry at home, plenty still have to trudge down to their apartment building’s basement laundromat or else haul their bagged clothes to a laundromat across town. Desai realized that such facilities have a reputation for low ceilings, dim lighting, creepy patrons, and an overall feeling of unease. The rooms are also often loud, with outdated machines rumbling and moaning, giving one the sensation of being trapped inside a boiler room.
At Green Laundry Lounge, by contrast, the eco-friendly machines are whisper-quiet, whirring gently in a well-lit space adorned with murals from local artists. Expansive windows let in sunlight. You’ll likely find families gathered, kids seated on bean bags and playing with iPads in the corner, adults sipping glasses of wine or cups of espresso. The air is fragrant with the ambient smell of freshly roasted coffee and floral notes, absent the heavy chemical clouds one might expect to find in a laundromat or dry-cleaning business. That’s because everything inside the business is environmentally safe, free of harsh odors and antagonists. Add to the lingering scent of fresh Indian cuisine, which is on offer from morning to night at the lounge’s cafe.
“It all has to be locally oriented,” Desai says of the food menu, having set a goal for himself to combine the recipes from his childhood in India with the ingredients of the Upstate.
Best of Both Worlds
This is not the cream-heavy Indian food that you might be familiar with; instead, it is authentic Indian street food, served in fast-casual bowls and wraps, with ingredients sourced from local farms. You’ll find dishes like lentil stew with cumin-spiced basmati rice. Steamed rice cakes. Mumbai-style street sandwiches of cucumbers, cilantro garlic chutney, cheese, and tomatoes. Naan topped with roasted vegetables, chicken, and tomato chutney. And plenty of other Indian dishes.
Not to mention, dozens of bakery items including croissants, cookies, sandwiches, scones, and muffins.
Green Laundry Lounge provides services that aim to make the everyday lives of its customers easier, such as subscription laundry services that offer laundry delivery, drive-thru pickup and drop-off, and dry-cleaning plans. It also sells non-toxic soaps and wet-cleaning offerings for those looking to do laundry at home without harmful chemicals.
But for Desai, the ultimate goal was to create a space where people felt comfortable, a gathering area where locals could come to grab a drink, grab a coffee, grab a meal, and let their kids hang out—and they can do their laundry at the same time, if they so choose.
“We want to bring people together here, and that was the real essence behind the idea,” Desai said. “This is a community place, where people can come and transform what was once a chore into a fun activity.”
Green Laundry Lounge, 10 Moorlyn Lane, Greer,
