Bakkers Fine Drycleaning Moves To Bigger Location A Few Doors Down



 

Bakker’s Fine Drycleaning (3238 NE 45th Street), which has been in the neighborhood since 1991, has recently moved down the same side of the street, just one block to a new location, due to the new building owner's intention to re-develop the property, and not including Bakker's as a tenant in his plan. The old owner did submit a bid, but was out-bid.

 

Mark Scott, Owner and CEO of the location, told us that the new owner immediately put Bakker's on a short term lease with a redevelopment clause that would give them the power to close the business' doors with little notice. And Bakker'swanted to continue to stay in the community they have been a part of for so long, so their goal was to re-locate to a very near by location.

 

Mark told us that the new space is much larger than the last location, "which is great because we were really tucked in the old space.  Our new lobby actually has space for several customers to wait inside! Our old lobby was room of one being helped at the counter, and one behind them waiting. If a third customer came, they would wait outside, then when the first customer left, the third could come inside, a real shuffle!"

 

Some interesting facts about the new store, Mark shared, is that in the lobby, all the lighting is LED, which draws 15% of normal lighting, and has a 25 year life span.   The lighting in the back is high efficient T-8 lighting.

 

Bakker's is featuring local artist, Dan Zunterstein's metal art, on the wall that is the Seattle skyline. Zunterstein's art is in all thestores that have space for it.

 

Bakker’s Fine Drycleaning (pronounced ‘Bocker’s in Dutch), was established in 1947 under the name “Overlake Cleaners” in Bellevue, Mark told us. It operated as a single location until 1977 when Ernest Bakker became the owner/operator and changed the name to Bakker’s Fine Drycleaning, and expanded to locations in Bellevue, Seattle and Kirkland. The location on NE 45th Street was the smallest store in the company.

 

In 2004, Ernie  sold the operation to Mark, his long time General Manager of 18 years.

 

"Our business has formed many relationships with the community, we have many customers in the nearby neighborhoods and continue to prosper," Mark told us.

 

For more information go here or visit the Facebook page.