Monica and Mustafa own North Cambridge Laundromat. It’s about 10 miles from my house, and I drive there to drop of my dry cleaning. You would too if you met them. They’re wonderful people. They hug and kiss you on the cheek. They ask about your kids, your job, and your weekend plans. And they have a great sense of humor. They remind me of what small town stores were once like—and might still be like in other small towns across America. They are many people like me, who would drive across town for them. And what makes this blogworthy is how these people are discovering them: On Yelp…

I spoke with Mustafa today who said he gets one new dry cleaning customer a week through a Yelp referral. That’s extraordinary considering that the laundromat is not located near public transportation. There are many laundromats on the same street, not to mention at least 2 big chains. It’s great that Yelp is has helped like minded people discover their local people who are passionate about what they do–and provide new customers for deserving small business.