It was like a dry cleaners from the 70s, where people would gather, chit chat and even run into their neighbours while sending off mail.
Even in 2021, the two brothers and owners of Royal Cleaners Joe Contini and Mario Contini, would build relationships with the customers and put out free dog treats so even the customers’ furry friends looked forward to the trip. Moreover, they even remembered the name of the regular dogs.
Whether it was Valentines Day or Christmas or Easter, the windows of Royal Cleaners would be painted with the colours of the holiday and whether customers were in to drop off their clothes or drop off the mail in the privately owned Canada Post inside the building, they knew they were walking into a little community.
Now after 33 years, Royal Cleaners will be closing its doors.
“We've been here 33 years and so we're certainly gonna miss the people. I'm going to be 65 years old in a few weeks,” said Joe.
“You gotta retire sometime,” said Joe, adding that his brother Mario will turn 61.
Joe said for the brothers, the best part of the job was the people.
“We've been very, very fortunate. No matter what industry you're in, you’re not going to keep everybody happy, but you know, 33 years of small business, I think we did something right,” said Joe.
Joe would run the cleaning side of the business and Mario would run the post office. But for them, keeping relationships with the customers was of the utmost importance.
“I think that's the atmosphere that my brother created and then I tried to adapt to that,” said Joe.
“I grew up here as a kid. So I went to school here. You know, my old principal from Grade 7 and 8 was in just this week Mr. Byrd. He comes here and we know him and the teachers.”
For the two brothers, the next chapter is undetermined.
“I'm very fortunate. I got a great wife and three children and we purchased a cottage about 14 months ago. So I don't think the summers will be an issue but Jan. 2. I really don't know what I'm gonna do. And that's the truth,” said Joe.
April Gates, a local resident who frequented Royal Cleaners for 20 years, described the place as an old fashioned business that kept its charm where the owners always greeted their customers in the busiest of hours.
“When it closes, we lose this service in the community. I've been there so many times and I've seen a lot of different customers who are repeaters and it's quite a community that they have built there and they're always chatting and they make everybody feel like home,” said Gates.
“It's almost like an old fashioned business. Most of the post offices are in large drugstore chains and a little bit more impersonal. But this is sort of an old town kind of run business.”
