They survived the wash-‘n’-wear polyester years, struggled through hard times when the denim-wearing folks of Sonoma Valley thought dry cleaning was only for affluent city people. She sweet-talked bill collectors while he made deliveries. They worked six days a week, and on the seventh, he fixed equipment while she worried about the bills. But they were young, deeply in love and didn’t know enough to know that what they were trying to do was impossible.
“Laura and I had just started running the business. We were both in our early 20s,” recalled off-Broadway Cleaners owner Barry Bosshard. “I remember talking to a very successful owner of a dry-cleaning business. I was trying to learn all I could about the industry. I told him about Sonoma. It had a population of about 1,500 or so at the time, and was mostly a retirement and agricultural community. He listened politely, then told me I was crazy to stay, we would never survive. Of course, looking back on it, I could see his point,” laughed Bosshard. “But sometimes, what you don’t know helps you succeed. And I guess that’s why we’re here.”
The Bosshard family is now celebrating 50 years of providing dry cleaning to Sonoma Valley. To honor a community that helped their business succeed, 50 percent discounts on selected items are being offered at off-Broadway Cleaners through the rest of 2007.
“We feel blessed to have grown and prospered with the community and a 50-year anniversary discount is our way of saying thanks to Sonoma,” said Barry.
The Bosshard’s half-century in the dry cleaning business started in the mid-1950s with Barry’s mom, Joy Bosshard, who would later own a dry-cleaning plant on Broadway.
“We started out as wholesale cleaners,” Barry explained. “People would drop off their clothes at a neighborhood shop, but they’d be cleaned at our plant. We made pick-ups and deliveries all around the Bay Area.”
While Barry was a youngster, he worked after school or during summer vacation at his mom’s plant. “
My first job was cleaning out pockets – ball point pens and stuff. Occasionally, I’d find some spare change, just pennies and nickels, but whatever I found was my pay.”
Joy Bosshard died in a car accident in 1972. Barry was in college at the time, with dreams of becoming a pilot.
“When my mom died I was in college, hoping to fly for the Air Force. But I had to drop out. My grandmother had invested in the business and I felt an obligation to her and to my mom’s memory. She had worked so hard to build the business, but now it was in trouble.”
With his future bride by his side, Bosshard committed himself to making Broadway Cleaners a success.
“The business was in debt. We lost customers after my mom died,” recalled Barry.
Laura said, “Barry’s mom was loved by everyone. Her customers were so loyal that when Barry and I started running the business it took a while to regain their trust.”
Barry said. “That’s understandable. People feel very personal about their clothes. That’s why I always tell my staff: if you were on the other side of the counter, would you want this service? So, I decided to know everything I could about the business, to be certain our quality was what I would want if I were a customer.”
Barry took formal courses in dry cleaning, received a license from the Fabricate Institute, and would later become president of the institute.
“I realized if we were to make the cleaners successful, I needed to know more than my employees knew – from spotting to pressing. Laura and I would often visit high-fashion clothing shops so we could anticipate the specialized cleaning needs of new fabrics and styles.”
By the 1980s, Sonoma Valley had emerged from its provincial roots to become a prosperous center of tourism and affluence, helping the Bosshard’s business grow.
“We had paid off the debts and were finally making a profit,” remembered Laura. “When we cleared a hundred dollars in a day we celebrated,” she added with a laugh. “That’s when Barry started thinking about expanding into retail.”
“We were leasing the space on Broadway, which meant, in effect, the landlord was our partner, which made things difficult,” Barry explained. “Plus, as a wholesale cleaner we were dependent on the success of the pick-up shops. When they had trouble, so did we. That’s why we decided to offer dry cleaning directly to the community. That way we would have more control over quality and service.”
While Barry was making deliveries, he discovered the perfect place to build his full-service dry cleaners.
“I kept driving by the corner of Napa Street and Sonoma Highway. I figured if I was, others were too. I knew the corner would make a great location for a drive-in cleaners,” recalled Barry. “So we purchased the land and started building. It was a big risk, but we were young and thought anything possible.”
Servicing customers directly created unique challenges for the couple.
“Before, we’d been cleaning bundles of clothes from a few suppliers. When we opened off-Broadway, the business became far more personal and offering superior quality and service became even more important,” Barry said.
Laura said, “We’d often get calls asking advice on how to get wine stains out or something, plus there were always special requests.”
Barry recalled, “I remember one customer needed his tux cleaned and pressed for his daughter’s wedding. It was a special rush-job. We got it done in time. He came in, grabbed the tux that was hanging at the counter and took off. But we hadn’t brought the trousers out yet. The wedding was in San Jose. We had no idea where he was staying.”
Laura added, “This was before everyone had cell phones. So I started calling all the churches in San Jose, trying to locate this guy.”
Bosshard said, “I felt terrible thinking about this guy, getting dressed for his daughter’s wedding and discovering he has no pants. So while Laura worked the phone, I took the trousers and started driving to San Jose.”
Laura said, “Well, I finally found him and Barry delivered the paints right to his hotel, in time for the wedding.”
With service like that, it’s understandable why off-Broadway Cleaners has built a reputation for quality and dependability. Today, their daughter Joy is helping her mother manage the business while her dad is taking a less-active role, though he is always happy to offer some expert advice.
“Being a cleaner in Wine Country, we’re always asked about wine stains,” said Bosshard. “Just dab a little water on, that’s all you should try to do.”
Laura urged, “Don’t put salt on it. That only sets the stain.”
“Try to remember if it is white or red. Then bring it to us and we’ll do the rest.”
Off-Broadway Cleaners is located at 19485 Sonoma Hwy. For information call: 707.938.2327
