Beloved Hermitage dry cleaner closing its doors after 37 years in business
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — Hermitage is losing a beloved family-run business. ClassiQue Cleaners has been around 37 years, but the owner said the COVID-19 pandemic dried up his business and the revenue never came back.
ClassiQue Cleaners of Hermitage has all the warmth of a true family business. Daughter Brandi Baltz has been working the store’s counter before she could see over it.
“I would stand on the stool to wait on customers,” said Brandi. “Most of my childhood memories center around this cleaners — playing out in the parking lot, on the hill back here.”
Her dad, Bob Baltz, has treasured the business he built with his daughter.
“She has truly been my right arm, and an asset to me in this business. The customers love her more than they love me, which is good,” said Bob.
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When the time came to close the cleaners, it wasn’t easy for this father-daughter team, or for the customers who have been getting their shirts laundered here for decades.
“When someone’s been good to you that long, you need to say bye to them and thank them for all they’ve done for the community because he’s done a lot for the community,” said Ron Beasley, a longtime customer.
“When I see that they were closing, I felt kind of heartbroken. We’ve been coming here for 25 years,” said another customer, Christopher Williams.
Cleaning workers’ uniforms at area hotels was a big part of the revenue, but Bob said that source of income tanked during the pandemic.
“It dropped to less than $100,000 a year thereafter, and I thought, ‘It will come back. It’s just a matter of time. It’s got to come back,'” said Bob. “But it didn’t come back.”
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“COVID took away my family’s legacy being able to continue, so it’s hard not to be angry about that,” said Brandi.
At one time, ClassiQue Cleaners had four locations. Soon, the last will shut down, but the little community built in that corner of Hermitage will never go away.
“It’s bittersweet. The time has come, but it’s hard regardless,” said Brandi.
“They started out as customers and they became like family, very close friends,” said Bob.
ClassiQue Cleaners was well-known for giving back. Dry-cleaning for some non-profits, burial clothes, and the American flag, they would never charge, and law enforcement could get their uniforms cleaned at half price.
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However, Bob said he’s not retiring; he’s thinking about driving a semi-truck as his next career.
The cleaner does not have a definitive closing date just yet. The owner said the store will be open a couple more weeks, allowing customers enough time to swing by, say good-bye, and pick up their garments.
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