Laundry. Beer. Friends. Music.

And all of this is right across the street? In one place?

That’s the Wash Pub.

Our local community dive bar, the Wash Pub, sits right across West Friendly Avenue from Guilford, hidden in the back of Quaker Village.

The second you walk in, you know what kind of bar you are in.

“It’s a dive bar,” said co-owner David Holbrook. “We don’t want a club type atmosphere. I mean, you spill your drink in here and it’s awesome. That’s what a bar’s supposed to be, at least in my opinion.”

“The atmosphere is just very relaxed, kind of like a family feel,” said Mellissa Beeh, senior and Wash Pub bartender.

Along with its welcoming feel, the Wash Pub’s location is a big draw.

“It’s really, really helpful to have a bar or a drinking hole that’s close enough to walk,” said senior Jamie Sisk. “We’ve seen … that, when kids drive downtown for stuff, that’s when they get in trouble. Being able to just cross the street is really handy.”

Holbrook and co-owner Karl Gibbons, a former Guilford employee, bought the Wash Pub in September and still love the Guilford community.

“We accept everybody, and the bar does too,” said Holbrook. “It’s not just because we want your money or your business. It’s because that’s the way we are. That’s the way we want our bar to be. And that’s the way people feel when they come in here … That’s kind of like the Guilford motto.”

“It’s the Guilford bar,” said senior Shanon Rule. “I know the bartenders, and I’m definitely going to know whoever’s there hanging out and drinking or whatever, so that’s why I go.”

Already a hotspot for Guilford students, the Wash Pub is only getting better.

“People that (came) in here six months ago come in here now and just do not recognize it at all,” said Gibbons.

They have torn up some old carpet, removed a stage and added a pool table.

“We’re expanding the bar just to be able to add more selection,” said Holbrook. “We want to really make it ours.”

As the bar grows in popularity, Holbrook and Gibbons are trying out more attractions such as karaoke, trivia nights and live music.

“We’ll try anything,” said Gibbons. “You know what it’s like in college. You want some kind of entertainment that’s not school-oriented. Sometimes you need to get away from that a little bit.”

And for any aspiring artists out there, the Wash Pub is also looking for Guilford student art to decorate the bar. Senior Paulina Magoon has already made a piece that will be displayed in the Wash Pub.

The piece is a large cutout of a hand with the pointer finger extended. It is painted on one side, and covered in a collage on the other.

“I am just happy to know that other Guilford College kids and Wash Pub regulars can enjoy the (piece) and add to the atmosphere of the pub as it’s beginning to grow and becoming more recognized throughout the Greensboro community,” said Magoon in an email interview.

So next time you find yourself daunted by an enormous pile of laundry, grab your basket and head over to the Wash Pub, where you can enjoy a beer, some music, friends and clean clothes.

As Sisk said, “It’s a laundromat and a bar. What else do you need?”

It is illegal for anyone under 21 to purchase or consume alcohol. The Wash Pub does not serve minors. If you are under 21, stick to doing your laundry on campus.