See original post here: https://wayzatatogether.com/f/serving-the-community-for-more-than-50-years
So a few months ago, I was thinking about the March issue and what stories to write. As you can see, this issue is very much an ode to St. Patrick’s Day and all things Irish. I wondered which family in town would make a good profile for this month’s edition. And then it came to me like a beacon in the dark. Well, it was literally a light shining in the night
I’m talking about the green and white neon sign of Wayzata Home Laundry & Dry Cleaners that shines along Wayzata Boulevard. The business logo incorporates a four-leaf clover. I was in luck – the Dynan family was the family.
The family-owned business has been serving Wayzata residents since 1955.
“We were in the basement of Welch’s bait shop on Lake Street across from Lyman Lumber,”
said Kevin Dynan.
It moved to the area where Colonial Square stands today. By the early 1960s, the business landed in its final location – a home converted into a laundry cleaning shop.
But let’s back up a bit, OK, quite a bit.
Like many families that emigrated from Ireland, Michael and Hannorah Dynan entered America at Staten Island, New York. This was 1850. From there the family moved to Illinois and finally Minnesota. Their son John married a woman named Julie O’Brien. The couple had eight children. Their youngest, Michael, married Pearl McAlpine.
Pearl had been working at a catering business and was a part of a team servicing a wedding for the Pillsburys at their mansion on Brackett’s Point. She was well-liked. In fact, one of the guests asked if she had heard that the Fadden family was looking to retire from their laundry business and were looking for a buyer.
Pearl and her husband talked it over and applied for a loan to buy the business but were denied.
“People who were at that wedding got wind of it,” said Kevin Dynan. “Ten to thirteen people co- signed on the loan so they could take the business over.”
The Dynans were in the laundry business.
At first, the business had only laundry services. It would later add dry cleaning to the mix.
This mom-and-pop shop was the quintessential family business. The Dynan’ children were an integral part growing up. But it wasn’t all work.
“Numerous winter days Mom would drop Maureen (Kevin’s sister) and I off at Klapprich Park,” said Kevin. “Ed Klapprich would come down and if it was 10:30 a.m. and you weren’t chaperoned by a parent, he would take your hockey sticks away and you had to play pom-pom- pull-away.” Kevin has a lot of fond memories of Klapprichs.
Kevin Dynan and his wife Janet run the show these days. Spend some time with them at their business and their pride is evident. They both love this place, and it shows.
And even before the laundry business, Janet was making community connections.
“I worked as a long-distance operator in Wayzata, right out of high school,” said Janet. “I was lowest for seniority and I got the leftovers for shifts.”
Kevin and Janet raised five boys. One lives in the Twin Cities, one in Wisconsin, two in Colorado, and one in Saudi Arabia. After high school they all continued their education. They were pretty darn good hockey players – in fact, three of them played in college together at
Gustavus Adolphus and a fourth played at Bethel.
The boys went on to pursue various careers and at this point don’t intend to take over the family business when Janet and Kevin retire.
And business isn’t slowing down. Especially when you have multi-generational customers knocking at the door.
“We’ll get some young kids in their 20s come in and they’ll say, ‘my Grandma told me I had to come here’, said Janet. “We are a third generation (customer) business.”
The Dynans have had several inquiries about the property and business. These calls came from developers as well as other laundry cleaning businesses. So far, the Dynans haven’t been interested, as it has to be the right dry cleaners or developer.
If that happens, there may be strings attached. See, the Dynans’ business is woven into the community of Wayzata. It’s not just because it’s been here nearly 70 years.
“We do the Coats For Kids for St. Bart’s,” said Kevin Dynan. “That’s something I would like to see continuing.”
So, whether you’re driving by this business along Wayzata Boulevard by day or night, the Wayzata Home Laundry & Dry Cleaning sign is plain to see.
The Dynans will take care of you as they’ve done for nearly 70 years now.