A beloved rug cleaner and retailer is packing up and heading to the other side of the Mississippi River after more than 100 years in Minneapolis. American Rug Laundry, a business that sells, cleans, and repairs rugs, will soon leave its sprawling East Lake Street building for a new address and showroom in St. Paul’s Macalester-Groveland neighborhood.
The relocation will bring the business closer to its St. Paul customers, which make up more than half of its clientele, and allow the business to operate more efficiently in the new building, said owner Sam Navab.
**A Historic Business with Deep Roots**
American Rug Laundry was founded in 1885 and is currently owned by Iranian immigrant brothers Sam and Far Navab. Passionate about rug conservancy, the brothers launched Navab Bros. Rug Co. in 1988, took over American Rug Laundry in 1999, and founded Legacy Looms, a custom rug company, in 2012.
**Leaving Minneapolis**
The beginning of the end for the historic storefront at 4222 E. Lake St. started about six years ago when the Navab brothers expanded the business to the suburbs. Just before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, they moved their rug cleaning operations to a 14,000-square-foot warehouse at 8043 Lewis Road in Golden Valley.
As a result, only a fraction of the East Lake Street building’s 12,000 square feet is currently being used. “We really don’t have much use for it anymore,” said Sam Navab.
The historic building was sold last month for more than $1.6 million to Kamaro Omer Ali, according to real estate records filed with the state. When reached by phone, Ali told the Pioneer Press that the building’s future is undecided, but it could serve several uses including warehouse storage.
**The New St. Paul Store**
The new St. Paul storefront will be 4,500 square feet—smaller than the Minneapolis location—but will have more inventory, according to Sam Navab. The leased building will dedicate the front half to rug sales, while the back half will serve as storage and office space.
Although the footprint is smaller, the new shop will offer about 500 additional square feet of rug inventory compared to the Minneapolis location.
An opening date for the St. Paul store has not been set, as a remodel is currently underway to construct the showroom and office spaces.
Out of concern about confusing their customers, the brothers have not publicly revealed the new address, though they have hinted it will be near the corner of Fairview and St. Clair avenues.
“We have reservations about losing our Minneapolis customer base, but we are not going far,” said Sam Navab, who also noted the new store is less than a 10-minute drive from the old one.
“I’m surprised to see how many customers come and buy a rug and say, ‘I’m so happy you’re moving to St. Paul,’” he added.
**Preparing for the Move**
American Rug Laundry is currently offering discounted rug cleaning services and lower rug prices ahead of the move, which is planned to wrap up by January 1.
https://www.twincities.com/2025/11/01/american-rug-laundry-moving-st-paul-minneapolis/
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