Interview with Ladonna Bishop of Lake Houston Washateria - Atascocita

Published: Aug 17, 2020, 1:00pm

As part of our ongoing "Getting to Know Your Local Businesses" series, we sat down this week with Ladonna Bishop, owner of Lake Houston Washateria in Huffman.

Tell us a bit about your business: What does your business offer, and how long have you been around?

We offer Self-Service Laundry, Wash- Dry- Fold Service, Dry Cleaning Service, Alterations, Cleaning of specialty items (car seat, dog beds etc.)

I have owned the washateria since December 1999. The washateria has been around since 1975 and has had many owners. It is in the Geri’s strip center on 1960 East in Huffman, which was the first strip center that was built in Huffman.

How did you decide to get involved in this line of work? How did the business get started?
The business was already there, and I purchased it from the previous owners. I worked full time and raised my children on the income it provided, being a single mom. I bought it so that I would have something for when I retire, which will be in about 5 years. My oldest son actually found it on Craigslist and then we took it from there.

Tell us a couple things you are proud of about your business. What are you known for? What separates you from the competition?
The quality over quantity is what makes the difference at our business. I have 28 years in quality and expect that out of everything that we do. I am proud that we have made it through so many challenges and God has kept us going. I want to reach out to the single moms to let them know that it is possible. You have to work constantly; it does not run by itself… lol
I am different from the others because we do not charge all the extra things as most laundromats do. We take care of your laundry as if it is our own. We always have an attendant on site to help with any of our customer's needs. Our customer service is awesome.

What is your favorite part of running this business? The people…. Without them I am not able to provide jobs for folks and we get to meet all the folks in the community. It's great!

Who is your ideal customer/client? Who do you serve best?
Everyone is my ideal customer. As a matter of fact I am a customer too; the attendants pick up and deliver my clothing just like everyone else. We serve the community as a whole and each individual. No one is less important.

Can you tell us something about yourself as the business owner? What is your background?
I purchased the business in 1999. I HATE LAUNDRY…. When my son suggested this would be a good venture, I

told him I hate laundry. Then a month later, I own it. I have 29 years in quality at the company I work for. I raised my two boys on this second income I had to have due to I do not make enough to be able to keep my children in the activities they needed to, so here was my second job.

Are there any special promotions, annual sales, or special events that you'd like to mention?
Yes – we are currently working on providing our customers with promotions to help them out.

Is there any other information you'd like your potential customers/clients to know about your business?
We currently have four attendants and one of them is bilingual. We are here to serve you and the community.
To learn more about our services and view our specials, visit our website.

How do you see your business growing and improving over the next couple of years?

I pray that we are able to bring in new customers and that our business will grow by at least fifty percent. To learn more about Lake Houston Washateria, visit our profile at Atascocita.com.