Java Jay's offers coffee, wi-fi while you're at laundromat in Crisfield

Susan Parker, slparker@delmarvanow.comPublished 5:00 a.m. ET Dec. 11, 2017Laundry. It's the chore everyone loves to hate, especially if they must trek to the nearest coin laundry on a regular basis. 

But what if your coin laundry was sparkling clean, complete with flowers, and was attached to a coffee shop where you could watch a giant flat-screen TV with your coffee and pastry until the laundry was ready to fold? 

Java Jay's, a new coffee shop in uptown Crisfield, is that place. 

You don't have to be doing laundry to enjoy the perks at Java Jay's. But it surely takes some of the drudgery out of the weekly chore. 

Both Java Jay's and Suds & Duds, the laundry next door, are owned by Crisfield resident Jay Tawes. 

Lisa Ward, a Crisfield native who now lives in Salisbury, is the general manager. 

"We offer breakfast, light fare, sweets and espresso beverages," she said. The project is an effort to help renovate Crisfield's uptown area, and the decor is designed to appeal to local nostalgia, reflecting the way it used to be in Crisfield's heyday, the 1920s through the 1950s — original brick walls are now exposed and a tin ceiling was added.

But modern amenities like free wi-fi, a charging station and big-screen TV are also available inside. 

"The laundromat next door is the cleanest one anywere," said Ward. "Jay keeps it spotless." 

"I love Crisfield," she said. "It's my hometown. My brother and I volunteer here all the time. When Jay called me and said he needed me, I came. The building was just a shell when he first showed it to me. That was Oct. 6. Now, just a few weeks later, we're open for business. This update is just fantastic; it will help with the renovation of uptown Crisfield, and I couldn't be happier about being a part of it."  

The shop is open six days a week and closed Sundays, but that will change in the spring, she said, when it will be open seven days a week and Java Jays will host public social events like open mics, acoustic performances and poetry readings.

A mural on the wall near the entrance to the shop was painted by Carter G. Woodson Elementary School art teacher Robin Daniels. It depicts Jenkins Creek in Crisfield, and features Hon Lawson's shanty.

Chalkboards behind the counter cover up windows in the original building, but with the brick wall of the building next door just inches away, no light shines through. 

"I'm up for whatever the community wants," said Ward. "In the 1970s, Main Street was hopping. We had McCrory's, Scher's, Sears and a few hardware stores."

It isn't everyone who is fortunate enough to look forward to coming to work in the morning — and it's an early morning for Ward at Java Jay's. 

"I love coming to work," she said. "I can't help but smile when I walk in here in the morning."

"I initially had no interest in the building next to the laundromat," said Tawes. "But when it became available, a Realtor called me to offer it, and I bought it."

Tawes has a vision for uptown Crisfield: more foot traffic and more businesses. And he knows a lot of laundry gets done there, especially on weekends. 

"I asked myself, 'Why not open up the wall between the two buildings?'" he said. "There was a place called Carey's Newstand, it's gone now, torn down years ago. They sold fountain sodas, penny candy and newspapers. On Sunday mornings you could find just about any paper you wanted."

Tawes knows exactly how long it takes to cycle through a load of wash — 23 minutes. 

"I've got them for about an hour," he explained. "Shucks, why not bust through the wall and have a soda fountain, coffee, sodas and candy for the parents and kids? Maybe throw in ice cream, too?"

Just inside the coffee shop is a bookshelf filled with children's books designed for all ages. With the addition of "penny" candy and an old-fashioned soda fountain, youngsters should find the laundromat ordeal less arduous.

As for the coffee, it's roasted locally and ground fresh daily at Java Jay's. The water used to brew the coffee is filtered. And the cost is reasonable at less than $2 a cup.

"Uptown needs more foot traffic and new businesses," said Tawes. "And people do a lot of laundry, especially on weekends." 

He said people come from as far as Marion to do their laundry because most wells in Somerset County produce water with iron. And people who live nearby walk to the shop.

While the coffee and espresso beverages are trendy, Tawes knows who his primary customers are. 

"The key to success is to cater to uptown clientele," he said. "The people who live here will now have a place to go." 

Tawes said he's been approached by a couple of people who also want to do something for uptown Crisfield. 

"Whatever we can do is a plus," he said. "I'm happy to do whatever I can. We should talk to our customer base and see what they need. I'm just trying to create a nice experience for them."