It’s a decades-old Philadelphia dry cleaner that has been around for decades. But it’s abrupt closure has left numerous customers confused at best and outraged at worst.
Customers at Fashion Expert Dry Cleaners, located at the Pathmark Center on the 4100 block of Monument Road in Wynnefield, say they knew the business was closing at the end of July. In a surprise move however, the doors locked nearly a month early. A sign on the doors notified customers that they only had a two hour window on Tuesday to pick up their clothes.
“A retail business closing with very little notice and everyone’s clothing held hostage,” said Sandy Kauffman of Wynnefield.
A long line of customers gathered outside the business Tuesday afternoon.
“There was no warning,” said Eric Norris. “How do you say you have to come back on a day and you only have two hours? People have jobs.”
While the owners initially said the customers had until 2 p.m. to pick up their clothes, the line was so long that the time was extended. Customers vented their frustration as they waited for hours to get their clothes back.
“A lot of people are out of town,” said Sharon Lee. “They’re going to be despondent when they come back.”
Eddie Yi, the owner of the business, said the sudden closure was due to problems with rent.
“We had a lease problem,” Yi said. “So we asked about lower rent. But they said no.”
Deanne Lesnik, of Pathmark Property Management, claims the tenant was evicted for “not paying rent.”
While Lee and Kauffman were able to pick up their clothes, they were still angry about how the entire situation was handled.
“I wish we had some warning,” said Lee.
“Arrangements could have been made in a timely fashion which would have been a little more respectful to the customers,” said Kauffman.
The business was completely boarded up on Wednesday. However, a note was left outside, notifying customers that it will re-open for pickup from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on July 16, 17, and 18. It also provided the number of the store owner.
Photo Credit: NBC10 Philadelphia