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FRANCHISE RESALES

Buy a ZIPS Dry Cleaners Franchise

ZIPS Cleaners is a dry cleaning and garment care franchise built around a same-day, single-price model. It originated in the Baltimore-Washington area in 1996, when a group of eight independent dry cleaners standardised garment care under one comparatively low price per item and an “In by 9, Out by 5” same-day turnaround guarantee.

Operations centre on high-volume, in-house processing: each store cleans, presses and tracks thousands of garments a day using proprietary systems, completing work on site to limit lost or damaged items. Alongside dry cleaning, locations offer laundered-and-pressed shirts, comforter and household-item cleaning, and alterations, giving owners several revenue lines from a single plant.

ZIPS runs a brick-and-mortar, territory-based model with roughly 65 stores open and more in development, concentrated in the Mid-Atlantic (Maryland, Virginia, DC and Pennsylvania) with units in Texas, Florida, Indiana, North Carolina, New Jersey and Illinois. Its founders still own and operate their own stores within the system.

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Why buy a ZIPS Dry Cleaners Franchise?

ZIPS competes in an everyday garment care category against a fragmented field of independent dry cleaners. Buying a ZIPS Cleaners franchise gives an operator a recognised brand, standardised low-cost, high-volume processing and collective buying power that small independents struggle to match. The single-price, same-day model is easy for customers to understand and encourages repeat visits.

The multi-service plant spreads revenue across dry cleaning, laundry, household items and alterations, and the category has proved durable across economic cycles. National marketing, customisable local campaigns, a rewards-driven consumer website and a commercial-accounts channel give owners tools to build both retail and B2B volume.

ZIPS Dry Cleaners Franchise Costs & Information

Based on 2024 data reported in the 2025 FDD

  • Brand Profile

    • Year Founded

      1996

    • Franchising Since

      2006

    • New Startup Cost

      $761,700 – $1,198,000

    • Avg. Resale Price

      Contact us for details

  • Franchise Fees

    • Initial franchise Fee

      $30,000

      for new territories

    • Transfer Fee

      $10,000

    • Royalty Fee

      6%

      of Gross Revenue

    • Marketing Fee

      5%

      of Net Sales

  • Unit Performance

    • Total Units *

      72

    • New Units Opened *

      4

    • Units Transferred *

      1

    • Avg. Unit revenue *

      $1,256,748

    * Based on 2024 data reported in the 2025 FDD

ZIPS Dry Cleaners – Additional  Information

  1. Training & Support

    New owners complete a structured programme of 40 hours of classroom training and 120 hours of on-the-job training, including three weeks at the brand's 6,000-square-foot certified training center, covering the ZIPS One-Touch Philosophy and manager certification. Ongoing support comes from the Home Office Team and Franchise Support Specialists, with equipment repair and maintenance, data and customer analysis, performance reviews and a quarterly Franchisee Advisory Council. Resale buyers should confirm what transfer training and certified-center access the franchisor provides to incoming owners and their managers.

  2. Ideal Owner

    ZIPS suits hands-on, operations-led owners comfortable running a high-volume production facility and managing a store team. Prior dry cleaning experience isn't required, as training covers the full process, but candidates should be process-driven, attentive to throughput and quality, and focused on consistent customer service. The brand favours multi-unit operators who can scale across a territory, so comfort managing staff, tracking production metrics and building local and commercial customer relationships matters more than industry background.

  3. Recognition & Awards

    ZIPS Cleaners ranked #135 on Entrepreneur magazine's Franchise 500 and was named a top Dry Cleaning Services franchise in 2018, reflecting its standing as an innovator in the one-price, same-day segment. The brand also participates in the International Franchise Association's VetFran program, offering an incentive to veteran franchisees. Its wider recognition rests on category disruption, an award-winning consumer website and a loyal customer base. For resale buyers, brand-level recognition should be weighed alongside the specific territory's local reviews, referral sources and community visibility.

  4. Industry / Market

    The US dry cleaning and laundry services industry generates roughly $9-10 billion in annual revenue across thousands of mostly independent operators, leaving room for branded, standardised competitors. Demand is steady and recurring, tied to professional wardrobes, household textiles and convenience-driven consumers. The sector is mature rather than fast-growing and has some sensitivity to remote-work trends, but everyday garment care, alterations and household cleaning sustain consistent local volume. For resale buyers, a fragmented market means a recognised brand and efficient plant can stand out within a territory.

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