Jardine’s Professional Dry Cleaning
Address: 442 North 300 West
Telephone: 801-355-3177
Website: jardinescleaners.qwestoffice.net
District: Marmalade
“We offer good quality cleaning and pressing at a good price. That’s what keeps people coming back.” Dennis Jardine has spent decades building Jardine’s Professional Dry Cleaning into a trusted name in Salt Lake City. Located in the Marmalade district, this dry-cleaning business has been a neighborhood staple since 1988, thriving on customer loyalty and word of mouth rather than traditional advertising.
Dennis’s journey to owning Jardine's was not a straightforward one. Born in Cache Valley, he moved to Salt Lake as a child and attended West High School, where he met his wife, Michelle. “I proposed to her just after her junior year in high school,” he recalled. “While she was in her senior year, I was in the army.” They married in 1968 and began a life centered on family, faith, and hard work.
After returning from the army, Dennis built a career in retail, working his way up in the Grand Central Stores chain. By 1978, he was managing a large department store. His career took an unexpected turn, however, when he was involved in a serious car accident. "A lady hit me from behind while I was on my motorbike. She was going fifty miles an hour" he said. "I had both hips replaced and dealt with traumatic brain problems. It took a while to recover." Even after this challenge, Dennis stayed with the company until 1984, when a corporate acquisition left him searching for a new opportunity.
Dennis’s search led him to dry cleaning. “We looked at a lot of different businesses - convenience stores, auto parts - but when Michelle and I found a little laundromat and dry cleaner, we thought, ‘This is something we could do.’” In 1984, they purchased their first shop on 21st South and 825 East, followed by a second location in Clearfield in 1987. They later sold the 21st South shop and acquired two new locations in Salt Lake before selling the Clearfield store in 1988. By 1995, they decided to focus solely on their shop in the Marmalade district, where Dennis has been for over three decades.
Jardine’s is more than just a neighborhood business; it has handled the men's wardrobe needs for the Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square since 1998, an account that continues today. “They just got back from Peru and we will be receiving a lot of suits to be cleaned. We also do dry cleaning and laundry for employees of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints along with missionaries from the Church, " Dennis shared.
Faith has been a guiding force in Dennis’s life. In 1994, he and Michelle stepped away from the business for a year to serve a full-time mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Alabama. “What a great experience it was for both of us.” Now, at seventy-seven, he continues with his commitment to the Church, repairing bicycles for young missionaries in the Layton Utah Mission. “It’s my way of giving back.”
For years, Dennis and Michelle worked side by side at the cleaners, with Michelle becoming a skilled presser. “She was the best,” he said. “And my best friend, too.” In 2012, Michelle was diagnosed with dementia. Dennis cared for her at home for eight years, with the support of their church and community. “The last couple of months were pretty hard,” he admitted. “She couldn’t do anything at all. But when she passed in 2020, it was a blessing. I know where she is now.”
Despite his loss, Dennis finds purpose in his work, hobbies, and family. He runs the cleaners six days a week and spends his free time on genealogy, tracing his ancestors back nine generations to Great Britain. Now, he is compiling Michelle’s family history as well. “It’s important that my kids, grandkids and great grandchildren know where we came from.”
Family remains at the center of Dennis’s life, with some of his children and grandchildren working at the cleaners. “I have two more great-grand babies on the way!” he said, shaking his head with wonder. “You know you must be getting old when you have great grandkids.”
On the counter at Jardine’s, a display of jewelry catches customers’ eyes. Dennis explained that Michelle had loved collecting earrings - hundreds of pairs over the years - along with porcelain figurines and ceramics. He sells some of her pieces in the shop, allowing others to enjoy what once brought her joy. In addition, Michelle loved to do needlework, and two of her beautiful pieces hang on the wall in Jardine's. Yet another lovely tribute to his beloved wife.
Through decades of dedication, faith, and service, Dennis has built a business and a life with deep roots in the community. His advice for aspiring entrepreneurs is simple: “If anybody goes into business, my recommendation is to work the business. Don’t depend on anyone else to run it for you. If you do that, you’ll be successful.”
