RR2 Clean Raleigh LLC, a franchisee for the nationally expanding ZIPS Cleaners chain, is seeking an operating partner to invest in the development of locations throughout Wake County, Durham County and Chapel Hill. Principals Ron and Rose Cappello are now entertaining offers to participate in the buildout and operation of 10 stores to capitalize on unmet demand for low-cost, quick-turnaround garment care.
Ron, a loyal ZIPS customer and seasoned commercial real estate broker and investor, with a background in retail, immediately saw a need for a transparently priced business providing low-cost, same-day garment care.
“We couldn’t find anything like that down here, so we contacted ZIPS. After extensive, monthslong research into the industry, the ZIPS program and this market, we eagerly signed on as franchisees,” he explained. “Unfortunately, other personal commitments have spread us too thin to develop the stores on our own, so we’re seeking an investor to join us in building and operating them, or to assume our agreement with ZIPS and complete it themselves.”
Demand for low-cost, quick-turnaround garment care is on the rise in Raleigh/Durham as major companies such as Apple, Google, Amazon and Microsoft establish a presence in the area and others including Meta consider joining them.
“We’re seeing growth here at an alarming rate,” Ron said. “That means more people need a reliable, affordable and convenient way to care for their garments. Regardless of what they’re wearing or where they’re wearing it, people from all walks of life here need a reliable resource like ZIPS.”
Development in Raleigh/Durham will consist of full-service plants housing all equipment and processing all garments on-site as well as satellite locations where items are dropped off and then transferred to a nearby plant, processed and returned under the same pricing and processing schedules as at full-service ZIPS locations. The combination provides greater flexibility in site selection and lowers the upfront and ongoing financial, time and labor needs to open and run multiple locations.
The Cappellos are reviewing vacant existing spaces and non-ZIPS garment care sites in the area to further expedite and lower the cost of opening sites.
