Thunder Bay, Ontario
Jason McConnell, owner of a new local carwash, plans to take the mess of bathing dogs out of people's homes and into his wash bays.
McConnell's new carwash, Canadian U-Wash, has eight stalls for vehicles and one stall with a coin-operated dog-washing device.
Canadian U-Wash requires the dog owner to bring their dog up a ramp and into a stainless steel tub, which has a sprayer a few feet above it that can be adjusted to different user settings, such as soap, conditioner and rinse.
The dog wash also has a flea and tick spray setting. Following the wash, the owner can use the grooming attachments on his or her pet as it is being dried.
Boonville, IL
Dirtbuster Car Wash recently opened its bays here, offering automatic and self-service bays and car vacuum cleaners.
The wash is owned by Jim and Jerry McDaniel of Newton, IL, who also own and operate 13 other carwashes throughout Indiana and Illinois.
Dirtbuster features one automatic wash, four self-service bays and two vacuums.
Corona, CA
The carwash industry has seen a number of combination business plans, such as the addition of cafes and pet washes, and now even a pharmacy.
CarMed Pharmacy, a pharmacy combined with the Corona Car Wash, was created recently with customer convenience in mind.
Owner Pradeep Amin, a pharmacist for 27 years, has owned Corona Car Wash for seven years, but it wasn't until about three months ago that he added the pharmacy after a friend's suggestion.
Amin said that it is the only combination carwash and pharmacy that he knows of in the country, adding that he plans to open another one in Moreno Valley.
Since opening the pharmacy, he has gone from zero prescriptions to 35-a-day, largely due to word of mouth.
Many of Amin's customers have found the combination to be an odd one, but the increase in business he's seen seems to show promise.
Decatur, TN
The Zoom 3-Minute Express Car Wash is now open for business.
Owner Gregg Davis said that he chose the business location based on the amount of traffic nearby.
Davis' wash allows customers to pull up to the facility, choose their carwash option, pay for it with a credit or debit card and enjoy the express ride.
Once through the carwash, Davis said customers can vacuum and clean the inside of their cars for no additional charge. He employs between four and seven workers who operate the wash from 9 am to 7:30 pm
Pittsburgh
The local Busy Beaver store here is scheduled to close in the near future and will be replaced with Get Go, a 24-hour gas station and carwash.
The City Council recently approved a zoning application for Get Go, a division of Giant Eagle Inc., to build a convenience store, gas station and carwash.
Plans call for a 4,200-square-foot convenience store and a nine-pump gas station operating around the clock, plus a Wet Go carwash.
The council gave its unanimous approval May 10 and a construction timetable is now being developed, but the window could be up to two years.
