by Joyce Lancaster

In Korea, the petals of an Iris are said to represent peace, hope and love. Myung Choi chose the name Iris, for her dry cleaning business, based on inspiration from that flower. “And because it was a short name, it cost me less for the new sign,” she laughs. That frugality has served her well in life.

A native of Seoul, Korea, Myung grew up with a passion for singing. “I sang all of the time.” Her father, a lawyer, wasn’t impressed. “He didn’t regard singing as a proper career choice. I was a bright child who received superior grades, and he wanted me to be a lawyer like he was,” she explains. “He wouldn’t let me take singing lessons, so when I was two months from graduation I had saved enough money for a few lessons. I learned enough to get into the college music program, which was amazing because most music majors begin their training in middle school.”

Myung worked hard to put herself through college and wanted to become a music professor. After graduating with a degree in music, she taught high school for a year and then went to Vienna, Austria for graduate studies. “I was living my childhood dream. I lived in a city of music and went to concerts every night, and I lived and thought only of music. It was the best time of my life,” she says wistfully. Unfortunately, her money was running dangerously low. At that time, her future husband – who was from a very wealthy family – came to visit and asked her to go to America with him to finish her schooling. “He offered to pay for my education, so it was an easy choice. We knew each other from our church choir and had spent a lot of time together,” she says. “We were married in Kalamazoo while my husband was at WMU. My mother-in-law forbade me to continue with my education, so that was the end of that for me.”

When Myung was pregnant with her third daughter, the marriage fell apart because her husband became abusive. “We divorced in 1995,” she says sadly. “Even with all of the money his family had, and still has, I received no alimony and no support for the girls.” When her husband abandoned the family, Myung became the sole provider. “I sold Tupperware at first, and then I tried catering. I love to cook, but I hated catering because I was selling food to my friends when I wanted to give it to them, and even though they would ask me to stay for the parties, I knew that I couldn’t. It was a terrible time for me.”

One day the Magic Touch Cleaners caught her eye. “I asked the owner if he would consider selling the store, and he said yes. She refinanced her home to make the payments.

Myung prides herself on being a “green” cleaner. “I use a silicone-based cleaning solution instead of perchloroethylene, which is very toxic. Silicone cleaners are better for the environment, and for the workers, so why not? Even though the green cleaners are much more expensive, I don’t transfer the cost to my customers.”
Today, Myung is still singing and avidly supports the University of Michigan Musical Society. Also, every three to four months, she entertains her neighbors and clients by presenting private concerts in her home which feature local classical and jazz artists.

In the future, she is committed to conducting her business in an environmentally conscientious manner and supporting various artistic endeavors sponsored by the University of Michigan Musical Society. Of equal importance, her ultimate dream is to open a restaurant in downtown Ann Arbor where she will serve gourmet Korean cuisine and feature live, classical and jazz music played by local students.

Iris Cleaners
Myung Choi
2268 Main Street
Ann Arbor, MI
Phone: 734-998-1245