Cahalan Cleaners and Alterations

I had a great experience with Julian and Cahalan Cleaners & Alterations. I needed to get a nice pair of jeans (Rock & Republics) hemmed on short notice for a weekend trip I was taking. I wasn’t sure if I could have gotten them hemmed on such short notice, but they were able to get it done. The work was impeccable, it was perfectly done.
I would not hesitate in coming back and would recommend them to anyone needing some alterations done.

This store is now OUT OF BUSINESS. All their other branches will be too if they don’t get their act together.
This place used to be great. It changed over to new management a couple of times, and the last managers drove the place into the ground. They got rid of the computer tracking system, stopped taking credit cards, and generally screwed the place up. Such a shame…

OK…
So who raves about dry cleaners… really???
Well,… 22 years ago I moved from Boulder, CO to San Jose. The house I was renting a room from was around the corner from this little strip shopping mall. It had a divey bar, a 7 – 11, Social Security and this small dry cleaners… and a gas station. Wow! I mean what else d’ya need… right? LOL
Anyway…I arrived into San Jose really late. I had driven to CA in my very beat up Datsun B210. After I hauled allllllllllll my stuff into this house and unpacked, I saw all my business suits were a mess. All of ‘em.
In 2 days I had an important interview with a Restaurant management recruitment firm and need to look sharp. I also was down to… um…like 20 bucks, and needed to buy gas and maybe a couple packages of Top Ramen to exist on.
My roommate suggested I try the cleaners around the block.
So I slep this huge bag of dry cleaneing over there. When I finally got me and the now broken bag in the tiny store, a really kind man with an accent helped me gather my clothes and my frazzeled wits into the stor. The clothes were all over the parking lot and sidewalk.
I’m sure he thought he was gonna make a killing off of me (with my 20 bucks)…LOL…he writes up the ticket, hands me the reciept and I almost faint. It was like… I dunno… a hundred bucks… back then that was a lot of money… well at least to me. !!!
I really needed at least one suit…(and it always happens) tears started to well up in my eyes. I was so embarrassed. I opened my purse. (Did I mention the 20 was in coins?) and asked him how much for one suit. He lloked at me, looked at the change purse, glanced out at the car and told me it was 2 for 5 dollars ! I knew he was bullshitting me, and felt sorry for me. And I told him so. I asked him how much if I paid cash up front. He said 3 dollars. !!! For 2!!! He was just the nicest man I ever met.
I got the job, and eventually got all my clothes (which I still have and wear by-​the-​way !!!) and he played this silly2-​for-​whatever game with me for the longest time. Finally, after I got… married…(would you belieeve)…was I allowed to pay the normal price. Just believable.
That nice man’s name is Julius. Like a Dad to me.
Over the years, I ‘ve grown to love his wife Dorothy… who does alllllllll my alterations… and she’s really good… REALLY. And then I met their son Julian (who looks like Michael Douglas by-the-way-girls-he’s single !!!) and is just the nicest guy.
The whole family are terrific. A throw back to a time where a f“amily run business” actually meant something. And they totally make you feel like family. Totally.
Since those years, the dry cleaning store is still the same. Over time they leased out one, than two stores next store. They have a Middle Eastern grocery store. And that’s where you can find Julius puttering about. Julian runs the dry cleaning store, and helps out his Mom and Dad when they needed.
If you need to trust someone with your dry cleaning, go to Cahalan Cleaners. They do everything. Formals, beaded, leather, suede… yada…yada… I was thin, then got really huge, then did gastric by-​pass. I don’t know how many times Dorothy has let out, then taken in the same clothes. She’s altered my husband’s suits (better than a tailor)…her attention to detail is perfect. As I said, I’ve had clothes for 20+ years I still wear. Now isn’t that a reason to rave?
Cahalan Cleaners is in Blossom Valley in the Cahalan Shopping Center at the corner of Cahalan and Santa Teresa. Next to L’il Caesar.
Oh yeah, and Tell ‘em Alex sent ya
Ciao!