Quick Take
After more than a century in business, Classic Vapor Dry Cleaners in Santa Cruz closes its doors Tuesday, citing financial strain from the pandemic and a lasting shift toward remote work and casual attire. The family-run dry cleaner is filing for bankruptcy, prompting an outpouring of support from longtime customers mourning the loss of a community fixture.
A 114-year-old Santa Cruz dry cleaner, Classic Vapor Dry Cleaners, is going out of business this week after what the family that operates it says is years of financial strain caused by impacts from the pandemic, such as transitions to remote work and shifts away from professional attire.
As manager of the business for over a decade, Vanessa Johnson told Lookout she’s heartbroken about the bankruptcy and loss of her family’s business, with its primary location at 285 Water St., across from the Santa Cruz County Superior Courthouse. The store has a large sign with black lettering that reads “VAPOR.” The word “classic” is smaller and in red lettering.
Johnson, 45, who has worked for the business owned by her mother, Pamela Whittington, for about 15 years, says she’ll miss the customers the most.
“Customers were the best part. Definitely,” she said. “They’d bring you gifts. They know you’re stuck here, so they’ll bring you coffee. You see their kids grow up. They see your kids grow up.”
On Friday, Johnson and her mom informed their 15 employees that the business would be filing for bankruptcy, and Monday was the last day the business was open. Staff sent out a mass notification via text and email to their customers Monday morning with the message: “It is with great sadness that after 114 years of serving our community we will be closing our doors. We want to thank you for your support over the years.”
Johnson said that business began to decline with the pandemic, when people stopped having to go into their offices. Meetings now happen over Zoom, and many people still work from home and don’t have to wear professional clothing as often. Johnson said she thinks Santa Cruz is also generally more laid-back when it comes to getting dressed for work.
“It’s Santa Cruz — you can’t dry clean bathing suits,” said Johnson. “It’s a beach town. Jeans-and-a-T-shirt town. It’s less professional and the work attire is more casual.”
She said the business’s other location, at 809 Bay Ave. in Capitola near Nob Hill Foods, is also closing down. Part of the bankruptcy process includes ensuring that customers who weren’t able to pick up their items do receive them. Johnson said she doesn’t know what the bankruptcy entails but her mother is working with a lawyer. Whittington didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment Monday.
Since their customers found out about the closure, messages of support and sadness have been pouring in. On Monday afternoon, as customers came in to pick up their clothes and check to make sure they hadn’t left anything, they expressed their shock and heartache.
When customer Carolyn Auman received the text notification, she said, “my heart sank.” She and her husband have been customers there since she moved to Santa Cruz about 20 years ago.
“This is an elementary, long-lived service that is a staple for the community,” she said. “So it made me pause and just reflect on more change.”
One customer said, “We’re gonna miss you guys,” and another said, “I share your sadness.” Some customers asked what led to the closure and others asked where else they should go for dry cleaning in town. Johnson fought back tears.
Emily Christie came into the store in disbelief.
“This is sad. This is weird. This is my last pickup,” she said. “I’ve been coming here my whole life.”
Christie was born and raised in Santa Cruz and her parents used to be customers as well.
“It’s surreal,” she said. “Santa Cruz is changing.”
Whittington originally purchased Classic Cleaners in 2009 and later purchased Vapor Cleaners from the business’s previous owners in 2012 – which led to the new name: Classic Vapor Dry Cleaners. The owner of Vapor Dry Cleaning started building the Water Street location in 1928, eventually moving from a previous location on Pacific Avenue, according to a Santa Cruz Evening News article.
Sew Sew Maria, a local alterations business that operates in the same building, will continue operating at the Water Street location.
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