Stoltz, Century-Old St. Paul Cleaners, Calls It Quits
ST. PAUL, Minn. (WCCO) -- It's been anchoring the corner at Snelling and Grand for decades. The Tracy family has owned and operated Stoltz Dry Cleaners since 1979.
"Yeah, I was getting tired, it's been a long time," owner Joel Tracy said on Thursday.
On Jan. 2, the clothes conveyors will stop for the last time when Stoltz Cry Cleaning closes for good.
"Nothing lasts forever," Tracy said. "Dayton's is gone, and people still talk about it."
He says the business has changed over the years. There are fewer and fewer people dry cleaning their clothes. It's at a time when the profit margins are growing thinner.
While the couple's six children have other careers in mind, keeping the business in the family would require costly upgrades of aging equipment.
"Every customer comes in here and I tell them, 'I won't miss the stress or hours, but I will miss you,'" Tracy said.
A large sign on the door breaks the bad news to longtime customers like Samantha Gemberling. She started coming to Stoltz with her father when she could barely see over the counter.
"I can't believe my dry cleaner is closing, so it's sad," she said. "It's a big community neighborhood, so it's a big loss."
Others are finding out in a phone call, as the business attempts to contact all the customers with dry cleaning yet to pick up.
Tracy is also the guy who presses the U.S. flags that cover veterans' caskets. He's done some 1,400 flags over the years.
"That's probably the hardest thing to talk about, because I am not one, but always wanted to be," Tracy said.
He's performed the task free of charge – never charging a dime.
"Some people die for their country, I just press flags," he said.
That -- plus a whole lot more -- is what makes this small family business so special to its customers and community.
"Everybody that comes in says something nice or says I'm going to miss you," Tracy said. "You guys have been great to us all these years, so it gets...it's hard."
The store's final day to pick up dry cleaning will be Jan. 2. Then the business will close permanently to make room for two new stores, a My Burger and Nothing Bundt Cakes.