Roosevelt Business of the Month: September 2025
A few days ago I had the distinct pleasure of speaking with Gloria from Roosevelt Vacuum. From the start of our Business of the Month program we have wanted to recognize Gloria because so many of our neighbors have told us that she does great work and is a pleasure to work with. Roosevelt Vacuum is also one of the oldest businesses in Roosevelt, having been in the same building for nearly 40 years.
Gloria is the third generation of her family to run the shop, which was founded by her grandfather. He was inspired by a friend from City Vacuum, who said that he always had lots of work and not enough time to do it all. He always had a penchant for taking things apart and repairing them, so the transition to this business was a natural fit. Gloria grew up in the shop and learned the business from her father without entirely intending to. She attended Seattle Prep, would come to the shop after school and began helping with repairs, and one thing led to another.
Gloria appreciates older vacuums, which were designed to be repaired. Most of the vacuums manufactured today are not so amenable to repair, although she can often use her long experience and expertise to make the vacuums operational again. Unfortunately, both for older and newer machines, parts are often difficult to come by as we move more and more into a disposable culture that emphasizes replacement rather than repair. Still, she has plenty to keep her busy and takes pleasure in figuring out complex repair problems, restoring a vacuum to working order.
Gloria speaks glowingly of the Roosevelt neighborhood, and how kind and generous the residents are here. She often sees second or even third generation patrons whose parents and grandparents brought their vacuums here. It gives her great pleasure to know they have put their trust in Roosevelt Vacuum over all those years, and strives to maintain the quality and service that have made it an integral part of Roosevelt for 40 years. As with every business in Roosevelt, Gloria mentions the lack of parking and loading zones and how that has negatively impacted her business. She likes having a bike lane in front of her store, but it does make it more difficult for her patrons to drop off and pick up their machines. Still, she loves it here and would not want to have her shop anywhere else.
In her free time, Gloria likes taking her five nephews on adventures in Seattle. She enjoys their youthful energy, and hopes that perhaps one of them will be the fourth generation of Roosevelt Vacuum owners! Thank you for being a valued member of the Roosevelt community, Gloria, and we hope to see Roosevelt Vacuum right where it is in another 40 years.
Each month, the Roosevelt Neighborhood Association’s Business of the Month recognizes a neighborhood business for their great service and community involvement. To learn more, please email contact@rooseveltseattle.org.