Milt Chortkoff, owner of Milt & Edie’s Drycleaners & Tailoring Center in Burbank, just celebrated his 70th anniversary in the dry-cleaning business. And at 87 years old, he still runs one of the San Fernando Valley’s most successful all-inclusive cleaning services. Chortkoff attributes a lot of his success to his location at 4021 W. Alameda Ave., which is less than a mile from Warner Bros. and Walt Disney Co. studios. He said the area has hundreds of entertainment industry costumers that drop off wardrobes in the evening after a full day of shooting and pick them up the next morning – sometimes as early as 4 – for that day’s production. “There really is no other place to do this,” said Chortkoff. “We never close. We offer two-hour cleaning, two-hour shirt laundering and instant alterations, all available 24-7-365.” In 1946, Chortkoff moved to California from Brooklyn, and worked for his father’s garment press shop, driving a truck and picking up laundry in the Echo Park area. After college, he continued to work in the cleaning industry and owned a dry cleaner in West Hollywood that still exists today. He went into business at his Burbank location in 1988 and bought out his partner the following year, renaming the business Milt & Edie’s in honor of him and his wife. Last year, the couple celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary. “We are very lucky to go to work and love what we’re doing,” said Chortkoff. “We spend most of our waking hours at work, so it should be a lovely experience. Not everyone is that lucky.” The business started with about five employees and now employs more than 80. Chortkoff said Milt & Edie’s has about 800 customers a day, which works out to about 750,000 garments a year. To accommodate this traffic, Chortkoff has made his location into more than a typical dry-cleaning shop. As customers walk up to the bright pink facility, they are greeted by flowers; a koi pond; and a maître d’, who directs them to one of the nine service stations, greatly reducing wait times. “It’s a beautiful atmosphere,” said Chortkoff. “Our basic philosophy on the production side is quality work delivered on time, and on the sales side, all customers leave happy always.” Inside, customers are offered fresh popcorn, candy and coffee, and every Friday, Saturday and Sunday, Milt & Edie’s serves hot dogs from noon to 4 p.m. “Milt & Edie’s has some good insight,” said Kordell Norton, author of “Business Charisma: How Great Organizations Engage and Win Customers Again and Again.” “You can give out coupons or you can just make the experience so engaging and so filled with wow that they tell their friends you have to go to this dry cleaners; it’s incredible.” – Stephanie Henkel
