BY Doug Hare EBS Staff
BIG SKY – On June 16, Sit & Spin Laundry Lounge held a grand opening at their Jefferson Building location, in the heart of what many locals refer to as the “Barmuda Triangle”—the area in Westfork Meadow triangulated by Milkie’s Pizza & Pub, the Broken Spoke and Brothel Bikes.
Owners Monica and Brandon Blanchard, who formerly operated a house cleaning service in Big Sky, were excited to get the word out about their most recent enterprise.
“I always wanted to buy the old laundromat, and when I started to observe the traffic and flow more closely, I noticed how people dropped off their clothes and would, more often than not, go to one of the bars next door for a drink,” said Brandon, who has been a Big Sky resident since 1997.
“The idea was that we could keep those customers here if we were able to offer free Wi-Fi, a relaxed atmosphere, and good drinks,” he added.
After buying the location 13 months ago, the space initially went through a six-month remodeling period. The last seven months were spent fighting for a liquor license, which was complicated by new restrictions and stricter regulations on the types of businesses that can have a liquor license in Montana.
“Our first day, we had people waiting for our machines, six washers and 10 driers, so the demand is there. We are the only laundromat within 52 miles,” Brandon said while serving up a cold drink to a thirsty customer. “You would have to go to West [Yellowstone] or Bozeman to find another one.”
With the liquor license finally squared away, the Blanchards intend to continue to evolve their cocktail offerings. Mimosas with pomegranate or blood orange juice are available. So is the visually pleasing “Tide Pod” shot, made with blue Curacao, Godiva white chocolate, and orange Stoli vodka.
“We will be rolling out some signature martinis soon, and we hope to have the best bloody mary in town—pepperoni straws, shrimp, maybe even mini-cheeseburgers,” Brandon added, as a customer backed into the entryway, full clothes hamper in tow.
Sit & Spin Laundry Lounge is currently open from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m., Wednesday through Sunday, with plans to eventually be open seven days a week.
