Get a behind-the-scenes look at dry cleaners-to-the-stars Milt & Edie’s in Burbank.
Let’s start with the hot pink.
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CategoryPeople
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Illustrated byChristine Georgiades
You can’t drive through the heart of LA’s media district in Burbank, right on the border of Toluca Lake, without noticing Milt & Edie’s. With a bright pink awning and matching sign, the drycleaners has been a fixture for more than 30 years. As the story goes, owner Milt Chortkoff (who’s wife was Edie) came out of retirement to start the business. He passed away in 2017, and his daughter Beth Shader and her husband have taken the reins.
Other than that, not much has changed over the years. Milt & Edie’s still serves hot coffee, freshly popped popcorn, candy daily and hotdogs on the weekends. A maître d’ directs customers to an open counter. And if your item is not ready on time, you get the service for free.
Sure they have fancy clients from nearby Warner Bros., like those from the talk show Ellen, and with tailors on staff throughout the night, Milt & Edie’s is considered a lifesaver. However for the most part, it’s still a mom-and-pop-run business, aimed at keeping locals impeccably attired—and content.
By the Numbers
2007
Year 24-hour
service began
1,500
Number of items
dry cleaned per day
10,000
Number of items
laundered per week
2
Hours needed for
fastest turnaround
of drycleaning
or laundering
2.5
Minutes it takes to
iron a men’s shirt
70
Years; the age of
eldest employee
25
Years; the longest
employee tenure