Dave Coyle: What Smart Dry Cleaners Do Differently

We sit down with Dave Coyle, one of the most respected operators and business minds in the dry cleaning industry. Dave shares the real story behind building In The Bag Cleaners from the ground up, surviving chaos, scaling through uncertainty, battling addiction while growing the company, and eventually creating Maverick Drycleaners, a community built around helping operators think bigger and lead better. This conversation goes far beyond dry cleaning. We talk leadership, entrepreneurship, personal growth, pickup & delivery, profitability, mindset shifts, and what it takes to build a business that supports your life instead of consuming it. In This Episode: How Dave got started in dry cleaning Growing from 1 store to a multi-location operation Buying 13 stores during the 2008 financial crisis The reality of entrepreneurship and survival mode Addiction, isolation, and rebuilding personally Why “better is better,” not just “more” Pickup & delivery strategy for modern cleaners Payroll, profitability, and operational efficiency Building Maverick Dry Cleaners The future of the dry cleaning industry Leadership lessons for owners and operators Cleaner Conversations is built to highlight the people, stories, and ideas moving the garment care industry forward. If you’re also looking for support with marketing strategy, customer growth, websites, SEO, paid ads, reviews, or retention, Cleaner Marketing is a full-service 40+ employee agency built specifically to serve the garment care industry. Learn more here: https://api.cleaner.marketing/widget/... New episodes drop every Sunday evening. Listen & Follow on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube. #DryCleaning #Laundromat #BusinessPodcast #Entrepreneurship #PickupAndDelivery #SmallBusiness #Leadership #CleanerConversations