Coffee shop in a laundromat? This country star is opening a new hybrid
The Chicks aren’t ready to make nice, but band member Emily Strayer recently readied to open Soap Laundry Lounge in San Antonio, Texas.
Strayer’s sudsy shop is a laundromat and coffee bar that mixes 64 washers and dryers with a full-service coffee menu including a ceremonial matcha, Mexican mocha and a hibiscus lemonade. SOAP also features pastries like muffins and scones delivered from local bakeries.
“SOAP was born from the idea that everyday tasks can be enjoyable,” Strayer said in a release, according to MySA. “I wanted to create a space that’s not just functional but inspiring, a place that brings people together and helps elevate how we live, even in the simplest moments, like laundry.” The sun-drenched space features salmon-colored subway tile and matching walls that contrast from the industrial laundromat appliances.
SOAP’s opening comes two decades after Strayer was exiled from country music’s mainstream, alongside sister Martie Maguire and The Chicks’ frontwoman Natalie Maines, after uproar over political statements during George W. Bush’s presidency. The Chicks, formerly known as The Dixie Chicks, are one of the most famous country music groups in American history, garnering 13 Grammy wins out of 20 nominations.
Raised in Addison, a suburb of Dallas, the Massachusetts native and her husband Martin Strayer bought the building in honor of their shared love for San Antonio. “I wanted to invest in something that truly belongs to San Antonio,” Strayer said in a statement. “SOAP is just the beginning. I hope to continue expanding offerings that make everyday life a little more beautiful for our community.”
After garnering worldwide fan attention in the late 1990s and early 2000s, country radio shunned the band in 2003 after Maines openly spoke out against Bush. The Chicks rebounded from the controversy, collaborating with pop music royalty Beyoncé and Taylor Swift in more recent years.
The group released the July 2020 record “Gaslighter,” their first album in 14 years which boasted a popular single of the same name. Last year, the trio performed “The Star-Spangled Banner” during the 2024 Democratic National Convention in Chicago.