By Emily Park
Northeast News editorial assistant

As she neatly folds a pile of clothes, Joyce Jones smiles, reminiscing back to 30 years ago when she opened the doors of Speedy Cleaners for the first time as the new owner.

Speedy Cleaners, located at 4845 Independence Ave., has held its doors open to the community for a total of 62 years.

Thursday, April 12 marked 30 years with Jones as the owner.

“I love clothes; I know how they are supposed to look,” Jones said. “It’s kind of a challenge when someone brings something with a stain and they are so happy you get it out. It is so rewarding in that fact.”

Jones welcomes hundreds of customers weekly, many of which are public service officials ranging from deputy sheriffs to firefighters. According to Jones, she has had up to 750 consistent customers employed as police officers.

With flaming red hair, rosy cheeks and bright eyes, Jones leaves a lasting impression on many of her customers.

From the Kansas City, Missouri Police Chief to a former president of UMB Bank, Jones’s loyal customers made their way in and out of Speedy Cleaners on April 12 to help celebrate her big anniversary.

Her shop is full of reminders of the years Jones has spent at Speedy Cleaners. In the back room is the table where her children – now grown – would sit and do their homework, and the legacy of her parents fills the building.

When Jones started her business, her parents spent a lot of time helping her get her cleaning service off the ground. She credits her mom for instilling the idea of “kill them with kindness” that keeps customers coming back to the store.

“They’ve been gone for a few years now, but they are here today; they really are,” Jones said.

Jones plans to keep Speedy Cleaners open for at least another five years.

“But who knows?” said Jones. “Maybe in another five years, I’ll be going for another five years after that.”

Editor’s note: due to a publisher memory lapse the owner’s name in our Speedy Cleaners anniversary story was initially incorrectly stated throughout the story. Her name is Joyce Jones, not Joyce Smith. The publisher regrets the error and will buy donuts for the Speedy Cleaners crew.