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Entrepreneurs to open 15 Mr. Jeff laundry service locations in Puerto Rico

A group of Puerto Rican entrepreneurs announced the arrival to the island of Mr. Jeff, a home delivery laundry service franchise originated in Spain, with the first four of 15 planned locations already open for business.

The Spanish startup currently has a presence in more than 27 countries around the world with more than 2,000 franchises and that is now betting on the Puerto Rican market.

Each local store entails a $100,000 investment to cover the acquisition of the franchise license, equipment, remodeling, store investment, projected payroll for six months, rent and other miscellaneous expenses, this media outlet confirmed.

Isla Verde, El Señorial, San Patricio and Dorado are the locations where the first four franchises are doing business, to be joined by another 11 planned for San Juan, Bayamón, Guaynabo, Caguas, Ponce, Arecibo and Mayagüez. Each location will have an average of five full-time employees from Monday to Sunday, including operators and drivers.

Mr. Jeff’s business model encourages people to “completely abandon the tasks of washing and ironing clothes, so that the time can be dedicated to other more valuable tasks.”

The company takes care of the entire process, offering service packages that users may subscribe to for specific frequencies of washing and ironing (depending on the selection) and that clothing items be regularly collected and delivered to the subscriber’s house, according to the date and time that they choose.

Although all its services can be requested directly at the stores or through its website, the company seeks to “revolutionize the industry” through its mobile application that allows users to request the service in an agile and simple way. Users can also follow up on their order from the time it is picked up, while it is being washed and ironed, through delivery.

The application can be downloaded from any mobile device, either Android or IOS, under Jeff through their respective App Stores.

“We recognize the challenge of opening a business in the midst of the global crisis that we face,” said Mary C. Pérez, owner of the first franchise that opened in Puerto Rico in the El Señorial area in Cupey.

“However, we also understand the opportunities that Mr. Jeff offers in the face of the pandemic, which, although it has dealt a severe blow to the economy of various industries, it has given the opportunity for others to reinvent themselves, adapting to the new trends that have been imposed through the change in consumer behavior,” she said.

The service that offers to eliminate the task of washing, folding and ironing clothes, “not only give free time back to the user, but also provides security, since to get services, the user doesn’t need to leave their home or the places they must visit (such as work), avoiding having greater exposure to areas where they may be vulnerable to contagion of the coronavirus,” she said.

Mr. Jeff guarantees that strict security measures are followed through its service chain to avoid the spread of COVID-19, sanitizing the articles of clothing they receive. Some of these measures are: Constantly disinfecting all workstations after each service; applying a longer drying cycle that reinforces the disinfection process; and making contactless deliveries, respecting safety distances.

In Puerto Rico, the chain expects to continue its expansion with more laundry points to blanket the island. Each franchise operating on the island has its own social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram, with specific information on that location, its special offers, as well as its services.

“Delivery platforms have reflected an increase in demand worldwide due to the suspension of activities to mitigate the effects of the pandemic,” said Francisco Carrillo, owner of the Isla Verde franchise.

“This is because, for the most part, they have been able to adapt to the current crisis by implementing measures that provide consumer safety. We presume that Mr. Jeff will not be the exception and, after offering the same rigor in our services, we will also place ourselves among the favorite options of the Puerto Rican consumer.” 

Author Details
Author Details
Business reporter with 30 years of experience writing for weekly and daily newspapers, as well as trade publications in Puerto Rico. My list of former employers includes Caribbean Business, The San Juan Star, and the Puerto Rico Daily Sun, among others. My areas of expertise include telecommunications, technology, retail, agriculture, tourism, banking and most other segments of Puerto Rico’s economy.
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