Amid the dark roar of a dry cleaning machine and the steamy swoosh of presses appears a different sort of sound.
It’s coming from a 42-inch television set sitting atop a cabinet above a hanging USC band uniform and a sewing machine. It’s flowing out the narrow front door and into a busy Pasadena street, drawing smiling customers into its odd but uplifting presence.
Every four years, for the last 40 years, the staff at Champion Cleaners has celebrated the World Cup by touching their neighbors’ hearts while they press their shirts.
In a tradition started by original owner Koko Kederian, every World Cup game during working hours is shown on a TV hauled here from the home of his son, co-owner Joah Kederian.