Wasbar - The Lovely Laundrette

by Startacus Admin
You may remember a few weeks ago we featured a great little story about Your Hero Delivery - a superhero laundry service that became so popular it had to close…
since then we have discovered a very unusual laundrette called Wasbar and as a result are fairly convinced that a secret laundry revolution is underway… here’s why.
It is hard to imagine anywhere less inspiring than the humble laundrette… bland, loud, hot and shamefully boring… not exactly our favourite place to hang out. That’s not a criticism, laundrettes are places wherein functionality must come before optional extras such as attractive decor or pleasant odour, right?
Wrong! Over in the Belgian city of Ghent there is a new laundrette that is aiming to break away from the mundane industry standard, and turn the weekly visit to the laundrette into a fun, social and generally much more pleasant experience - very intriguing...
Located in a former bookshop, Wasbar Ghent is a laundrette, quite unlike any other - there are of course washing machines, but instead of being bored to tears whilst waiting for their laundry to be done, Wasbar’s clientele are treated to a number of more pleasant diversions. Fancy a haircut? Then you can get one from one of the in-house stylists! Fancy a catch-up with mates? Then why not have a spot of lunch or even a drink from the bar?
The proprietors Yuri Vandenbogaerde and Dries Henau (no we didn’t make that up, his name really is Dries) say that they wanted to create a laundrette which would allow people to actually enjoy themselves whilst doing the sinfully laborious task of laundry. Visually, the decor places the theme of washing firmly at the centre of proceedings but adds bright colours, cosy furnishings and quirky touches to fill the place with an atmosphere of fun.
The 18 washing machines or ‘the grand old ladies’ as they are affectionately known continue to take pride of place opposite the ‘grandpas’ (tumble dryers) which have each been given a name thanks to a Facebook crowdsourcing campaign. From the looks of it, Wasbar lies somewhere in between your grandma’s kitchen, a cocktail bar, a coffee shop and a laundrette... needless to say we’ll be winging our way there just as soon as we can gather up a basketful.
To add yet another level of brilliance, all of the furniture and fittings are upcycled from old pieces destined for the scrap heap but have now been given a colourful new lease of life and fab new home!
We love it when people think of exciting and innovative ways to make the world a bit more fun to be in, and Wasbar certainly qualifies as that!
Why not check out of few of these fun and quirky ideas?
My Hero Delivery - Laundry Delivered by your favourite super heroes
Jimmy Beans Wool - A Great Little Yarn
Desk Beers - Our Startup of the Week
Glove Love - A matchmaking service for single gloves
If you like what you see here on Startacus and want to get involved yourself, why not become a member of our growing community by joining for free here! Or... if you prefer, why not get features like this direct to your inbox by signing up to receive our bi-monthly newsletter. Simply enter your email address and we'll be in touch.
Subscribe to our newsletter
If you would like to receive our startup themed newsletter, full of the latest startup opportunities, events, news, stories, tips and advice, then sign up here.
Got a business in the manufacturing sector? These tips on how you can reduce energy costs while being more sustainable are well worth a read...

Innovative InsurTech startup SureIn announces a €4M Seed round to further its mission of making insurance easy, transparent and hassle-free for SMBs.

Nassia Skoulikariti, Director of IoT Programmes, Mobile Ecosystem Forum shares some insights on how IoT is having a significant impact on all our lives.

Roger James Hamilton, Founder and CEO of Genius Group, a world-leading entrepreneur Edtech and education group, discusses how introducing a globalized curriculum will help better prepare students.

SuperFi, the debt prevention platform, has announced a $1m pre-seed funding round to support people during the cost of living crisis.

41 startups from 13 countries, including the UK, have been selected for the 8th Kickstart Innovation program, one of Europe’s leading innovation platforms.

Personal training platform Another Round has secured £300k in its latest fundraise, including investment from angels and its community.

Thingtrax Secures £4.3M to Empower Manufacturers to Build the Factories of the Future

A measure of inflation relief for small firms sees transport costs fall but service price increases remain elevated

Bedfordshire-based HR tech startup HR DataHub has built a range of tools for HR departments
Published on: 18th December 2013
If you would like to enable commenting via your Startacus account, please enable Disqus functionality in your Account Settings.







- SureIn Secures €4M to Close the SMB Insurance Gap 15th Aug 2023 Innovative InsurTech startup SureIn announces a €4M Seed round to further its mission of making insurance easy, transparent and hassle-free for SMBs.
- SuperFi raises $1M pre-seed funding round 28th Jul 2023 SuperFi, the debt prevention platform, has announced a $1m pre-seed funding round to support people during the cost of living crisis.
- Startups rely on AI & sustainability for new partnerships 27th Jul 2023 41 startups from 13 countries, including the UK, have been selected for the 8th Kickstart Innovation program, one of Europe’s leading innovation platforms.
- Another Round closes £300k Seed round to revolutionise personal training 21st Jul 2023 Personal training platform Another Round has secured £300k in its latest fundraise, including investment from angels and its community.