Kokoros Prizes Independence in Politics and in Business

Charles Kokoros began his political career volunteering during high school for then Gov. Michael Dukakis, a fellow Greek and stalwart Democrat. 

He started his business career around the same time, working at the old Blue Ridge Farm off Granite Street. 

He eventually pitched in for Republicans and worked for a few large companies, but eventually, in both aspects of his life, Kokoros found his way to independence.

Kokoros, today president of the Town Council and not formally affiliated with either party, has owned for the past two decades Braintree Cleaners on Grove Street with his wife Denise.

Patch features questions with business owners every Monday. See the Braintree Cleaners interview below.

What did you do before?

Before starting Braintree Cleaners with his wife 22 years ago, Kokoros was working in the Staples management training program, and Denise Kokoros was an office manager.
Prior to that, Kokoros earned a business degree from Suffolk University. During his time there, he started his own consulting firm, selling maps that displayed sales areas in Massachusetts. He also consulted on an expansion that Suffolk was doing at the time, working with an outside firm to highlight where potential students would come from.

"Sales was really in my blood," Kokoros said. "It was pretty exciting for me."

After college, Kokoros worked various jobs, including opening stores for school supply company J.L. Hammond, selling Patriot Ledger subscriptions, working at Sears when it opened in Braintree and selling cars.
When did you open and what was the biggest challenge?

When Braintree Cleaners opened 22 years ago, Charles and Denise were engaged and about to get married. They took out loans, bought the store on Grove Street, built it out and renovated.

"It was a big risk," Kokoros said.

How has the business evolved?

Braintree Cleaners expanded a few years after it opened, going from purely a storefront to in-house dry cleaning and pickup routes. Kokoros eventually opened stores in Easton, at 50 Braintree Hill Office Park and at the Braintree MBTA location.

The economic downturn, and the amount of time it took to manage all the locations, led to Kokoros and his wife re-focusing on just the Grove Street location.

"The economy really changed things," Kokoros said.

How many employees do you have?

At one point, when they had all the locations, Braintree Cleaners employed five or six people, Kokoros said. Now it is him, his wife and two employees.

Why locate in Braintree?

Kokoros is from Braintree, and Denise grew up in Quincy, or as Kokoros likes to call it, "North Braintree." They also liked the location because Grove Street is well-trafficked and the space was available.

What's your mix of repeat and new customers?

Dry cleaners typically have high turnover rates of 40 to 50 percent of customers every two years, Kokoros said, because people move, lose jobs and pass away. 

"We tend to retain a solid portion," Kokoros said, because his shop has stayed small and pays close attention to detail. If the owner is an employee, he said, quality remains high. Kokoros estimated Braintree Cleaners' turnover is closer to 30 percent.

Do you still have your $9.99 two-piece suit special?

Yes. It is a savings of about $3 if you consider that without the special cleaning the pants and jacket would cost approximately $13.40, Kokoros said.

It is a special that Braintree Cleaners instituted to help people during the recession, and differentiate itself.

"We try our best to be reasonable," Kokoros said. "It's more than just about dry cleaning. It's a personal business."

What do you see yourself doing in the future?

Getting back to his roots, Kokoros would like to start a small business consulting firm. He now has two decades of his own experience running a small business, plus those years of sales and marketing that he could put to use helping other entrepreneurs.

What's your favorite part of the job?

"I like being part of Braintree," Kokoros said.

As a town councilor with a business in Braintree, it is like he has a storefront for constituents. He likes being helpful, not just with dry cleaning, but also with people who come to him for other issues.

"It's nice to have that constant contact," Kokoros said. "I am living the American dream."

If you could change one thing in town to make it easier for small businesses, what would that be?

Kokoros said there would be a lot more than one thing, but he started with two important changes that could be accomplished when the council examines its zoning bylaws.

The town should streamline planning and zoning processes for small businesses, who do not have the resources to hire a law firm, Kokoros said. Signage laws should also reflect that if such advertising is done tastefully, businesses should have more opportunities to catch customers' eyes.

"A business without a sign," Kokoros said, "is a sign of no business."

If you would like to be featured in our weekly Business Conversations article, email joseph.markman@patch.com.