By Michael P. Walsh
Special to the Voice
Mr. Bubbles Laundromat, a new self-service laundry at 1088 Boston Post Road, celebrated its grand opening July 1.
After dubbing Mr. Bubbles “the Disney World of laundromats,” Mayor Dorinda Borer and Milford Regional Chamber of Commerce executives snipped a red ribbon with owner Sammy Rivera and his wife and children to officially mark the event.
Greeted with loud cheers from dozens of friends and supporters, Rivera pulled out all the stops for the celebration, complete with red, white and blue balloons, exploding confetti, and food trucks.
The chamber-organized event included welcoming remarks by Borer, McDonald and Rivera, a Puerto Rican-born West Haven entrepreneur who also owns Budget Transmission Center and Budget Car Wash on the same Route 1 corridor in the city’s thriving Allingtown business district.
Now owning and operating three businesses in West Haven, Borer praised Rivera’s commitment to the city, saying: “Sammy has built his businesses into an empire that is rooted in hard work, honesty and integrity. On top of his business savvy, he’s also a great contributor toward countless nonprofit programs in the city.”
Also joining the ribbon-cutting were City Council members Gary Donovan, D-4, and Dawn Callahan, D-6, along with chamber President and CEO Michael Moses, Director of Membership and Marketing Simon McDonald and board member Hala Urban, the West Haven branch manager of New Haven Bank.
The midday ceremony was also marked by city Economic Development Director Steve Fontana, city Fair Rent Commission Chairman Steven R. Mullins, Joseph Rodriguez, the deputy state director of U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal’s Hartford office, and chamber board members Robert Creigh and Erin Eberhardt, the owner of West Shore Associates of West Haven.
The completely renovated, “all-in-one” laundromat offers wash, dry and fold services as well as pickup and delivery services. It also offers a dry cleaning service and rewards loyal customers with “Bubble Bucks.”
“Let us do the dirty work while you enjoy clean, fresh clothes,” said Rivera, the city’s 2021 Hispanic American of the Year.
Although Mr. Bubbles features state-of-the-art Electrolux Professional stainless steel washers and dryers of various sizes, it is not your typical laundromat.
Customers can watch programs on several newly installed high-definition TVs while waiting for their laundry, or they can relax in a massage chair.
The laundromat even has a kids playroom, arcade games and a lounge area with charging stations.
Mr. Bubbles is located in a small-business plaza, near Meloy Road, and is open seven days a week from 6 a.m. to midnight. The space was formerly occupied by All-in-One Laundromat.