94: Building Through the Uncertainty and Thriving, with Lapels Dry Cleaning President and CEO Kevin Dubois

Stories from Franchisees & Founders

In this week’s episode, Brian is joined by Kevin Dubois, the President & CEO of Lapels Dry Cleaning. Lapels Dry Cleaning was founded on the premise of convenience and a true 100% environmentally non-toxic way to clean clothes. With nearly 100 locations nationwide, the brand was recently named to Entrepreneur magazine’s Franchise 500 for 2020.

Kevin shares his journey leading into franchising and the lessons he’s learned along the way that ultimately allowed him and his team to scale Lapels the right way. He also brings high-level insights into the dry cleaning industry, specifically how Lapels has managed to be on the cutting-edge of innovation in a largely unchanging industry. 

The duo talks about how the franchise community has come together and are continuously finding new ways to survive and even thrive in uncertain times. Kevin says, “Every challenge in any economic cycle also presents some opportunities.” 

Tune in and learn more about Kevin’s franchise story! 

What we talk about:

• Kevin’s history and what got him into franchising and in the dry cleaning industry
• How the dry cleaning industry works
• Building and improving the system model
• The progress from 18 to 100 locations and lessons learned along the way
• Giving the support needed by different franchisees
• How COVID-19 affected the dry cleaning industry
• The strength in the franchise system coming and working together
• The future goals for Lapels
• Some revolutionary changes in dry cleaning

What we mention:

• Lapels Dry Cleaning