| There is a continual trend we are seeing which I can | | | | grow North and West higher end your city has |
| remember participating in over a decade ago, when | | | | interesting trends not normally seen with the middle |
| cities were trying to figure out how to increase sales | | | | class center, probably due to the East Windsor area |
| tax revenues when the large box stores outside of | | | | thus it is growing North West while the west side of |
| town came into nearby or surrounding areas. For | | | | freeway has remained the older area. But I cannot tell |
| instance a big and easy example would be Wal-Mart. | | | | for sure without spending much time. Typically an area |
| Sam was smart and built his stores just outside of | | | | with a regional type mall if it has thee Old Navy Type |
| town near towns, which drew from neighboring towns | | | | stores which go in next to each other are trendy |
| of 5,000 or more from three to five directions. If you | | | | places of spending consumers that is good, but also |
| look at an over lay of Wal-Mart stores to an atlas of | | | | need to be cognizant of the need to be by or near |
| that state you will see the rural America can get | | | | Happy Meal Station, or other QSRs. This is well |
| anything they need at the best price without driving all | | | | documented in the annals of car washing guru's best |
| that far.Unfortunately that awesome distribution | | | | advice and written articles. By putting the car wash |
| system that Sam designed which accounts for nearly | | | | near that off ramp you will not cut yourself off from |
| 12% of all retail sales in America today also made it | | | | your 10-mile radius sphere of influence where 80% of |
| tough for less efficient small town business owners on | | | | your customers will be coming from. now realize that |
| Main Street USA to compete. Since then many small | | | | those town homes or multi-family units, apartments |
| towns have found a way to bring back and revitalize | | | | that were built for the city to take advantage of |
| there towns. It is estimated that with 5-10 million most | | | | matching Federal funds for low income housing years |
| towns can totally revitalize their down town sectors | | | | past will be a significant base not to mention the up the |
| and that maybe about the same amount of fees and | | | | street Golf Course crowd. Like the Viking customers |
| permits to build the Wal-Mart in the first place. Since | | | | you will be paying through the nose for property, |
| 1980 an estimated 19 billion dollars has been spent on | | | | sewer hook-ups and hidden fees (taxes) and you will |
| such revitalization of down towns and made them a | | | | feel like Popeye the sailor by the time your all through |
| place to meet, shop, hang out and go.Just like the song | | | | and want to through some tea into your reclaim pit. So |
| "Down Town, everything's great when you're | | | | before you decide to put in a car wash in a town like |
| downtown" great song and that is the goal. It is a | | | | Windsor or buy a piece of property, you should look at |
| feeling, a place to be, a destination location. And it has | | | | the layout of the town, determine where they filters or |
| just about everything you could want, that is everything | | | | nets of wealth or money flow is going.If the down |
| you cannot find at the mall or at Wal-Mart. Sure many | | | | town is going to be revitalized a car wash some |
| of the typical stores have gone out. Such as the | | | | where between both or a detail shop in the down |
| stationary stores, photo developing, pharmacy, video | | | | town with a hand wash valet parking or just good old |
| rentals, sports equipment, auto parts, grocery, pet | | | | fashion look will put your business at the top of the |
| stores, etc. But you can shop for antiques, something | | | | food chain with the local founding families of the town |
| to eat, a movie, used books, lots of items that work | | | | and the powers to be of that fiefdom. Whatever you |
| well in that setting and many types of businesses, | | | | do it is important to do it right and to do well, or just |
| which cater towards those types of atmospheres. | | | | don't do it. Regarding the question of car washes as a |
| Such as Starbucks, certain food places and small | | | | business in CA. Yes it is viable, but more money is |
| mom and pop shops, florists, gifts, specialty, | | | | made building up car washes and selling them in CA |
| entertainment/liquor establishments, restaurants. If you | | | | than in running them. The IRS likes to audit them a lot. |
| look at cities like Pittsburgh for example you will see a | | | | Car Washes being a cash business by nature tend to |
| well-served and thriving downtown area. In other cities | | | | hit all the red buttons. With the Tax cut and $100,000 |
| you see a combo mix and made up facade | | | | immediate expensing it is a worthy endeavor, but risky |
| downtown of tilt-ups prefab buildings, I can think of | | | | too. been in the industry 27 years washing stuff, I have |
| many like the Limited Groups Downtown area in North | | | | to agree with much of the thinkin gof this gentleman |
| Columbus OH and it is hopping with people and | | | | with regards to downtown areas and possible car |
| spending. A place to go, and it works.But many so | | | | wash locations. is also good people and will take care |
| many smaller towns have done well to rebuild the | | | | of your needs. Investing in a car wash especially in CA |
| downtown areas where for lease and out of business | | | | with the real-estate prices is a difficult match to the |
| signs abound. Why? Well all money made in town | | | | intended ROI. But if planned properly with the proper |
| leaves town, it does not stay to re circulate. Just like | | | | location, it is a good business, once all the delays are |
| those who get a paycheck in the big city have moved | | | | done and the city approves it. The city planner of this |
| to the suburbs and therefore the subs get the first use | | | | particular city went to Chico State and is probably laid |
| of that flow of money. Why? Well city planners in the | | | | back so he maybe easier to deal with than the |
| subs attract through incentives car dealerships and | | | | ultimate planning commission or all the yuppie liberal |
| other such businesses and put them on the main roads | | | | cream cake granolas which come out of the |
| surrounding the residential areas of single family | | | | woodwork in their 1969 Volvos with leaky rings |
| dwellings and then allow multi-family town homes, | | | | spewing Carbon Monoxide smoke and proclaiming |
| apartments, etc on the same main thoroughfares, one | | | | themselves the environments last chance, all the while |
| city I recently reviewed in CA had done exactly that. | | | | spreading the Redwood tree pathogen all around the |
| These areas of businesses surrounding the residential | | | | forest each day as they go for nature walks and |
| areas serve as a net to trap the money from leaving | | | | chain themselves to trees when the forest service is |
| their area. Well the downtown revitalization tries to do | | | | attempting to allow thinning as to not burn down the |
| the same thing, attract people into the area to hang | | | | entire forest with 120 tons of debris and dead wood |
| out and enjoy themselves and thus have time to | | | | fuel per acre. Heck I could go on all night. Once opened |
| spend their money.If you look at this city Windsor CA | | | | toe the line and stay totally politically and non-profit |
| you can see some of our observations: Now then | | | | group active, but keeping piece near paradise is not |
| some might think people in CA are all a bunch of | | | | easy. They will claim noise pollution, water pollution, air |
| Hippie Dippies. Such as the Cheech and Chong | | | | pollution, toxic chemicals, none of which is true. The |
| Comedy team, but as a whole People in CA are | | | | demographics are right provided there are less than |
| generally smarter than most due to oxygen level as | | | | two other car washes which are full service within 7-8 |
| most live near or around sea level. Better weather | | | | miles of your wash, having a more convenient location |
| makes year round activities and human interaction | | | | will net you the soccer moms if you choose full serve. |
| easier and therefore more is learned both | | | | If you are self serve probably across the freeway |
| academically, physically, observationally and literally. So | | | | where land is cheaper since those self serve bays are |
| it is not much different than a city in Mass, NJ, VA, but | | | | only good for $1300 per month gross or so?With that |
| with more ideal weather. The town of Windsor is an | | | | explanation told on this subject of location based |
| okay town. We have no problem with it. Some of | | | | businesses, you have to ask yourself which business |
| everything there. Protectionism and good ole boy | | | | models are viable for a down town sector to really |
| networking alive and well, this can be to your | | | | thrive and attract even more people. This example |
| advantage by working the system a little and being in | | | | goes into depth of the kind of thinking that needs to be |
| the right non-profit groups. It is doable. But it is not | | | | thought of when setting up a downtown revitalization |
| worth the headaches for our company to participate in | | | | project, but with each type of business model. For |
| anyway due to the CA mentality on business. These | | | | instance ask any developer of property manager of |
| good ole boy networks want to make money in their | | | | strip malls of retail large income property and they will |
| downtown businesses but do not often allow the | | | | tell you the types of anchor tenants needed to make |
| progress to revitalization until which time they get off | | | | the center survive or strip center. What types of |
| their butts and visit a town which has revitalized their | | | | business and specifically which businesses, such as |
| down town, then they immediately go and join the Main | | | | Kinko's, Starbucks, Blockbuster, etc. And the types |
| Street Program which currently has nearly 1800 | | | | usually preferring franchise businesses such as Juice |
| communities which participate in it and they are really | | | | Stores, Haircut, tanning, insurance, real estate, etc. It is |
| learning a lot from each other, as to what works and | | | | important to understand the mall and the traffic without |
| what does not.I recently visited Franklin TN where the | | | | going over board, recently I saw a delightful strip |
| downtown was cooking along as a matter of fact you | | | | center in a perfect location in Red Bluff, CA, right on a |
| could smell the aroma from nearby restaurants, see a | | | | busy intersection across the street from Wal-Mart, |
| movie, get a beer or your favorite rendition of a Latte. | | | | none of the businesses moving in could ever compete |
| If this is your dream to put in a car wash near | | | | with Wal-Mart and they did not have to. Across from |
| downtown go for it. But watch out for the traps. | | | | Burger King sat a Starbucks as the strip malls anchor |
| Environmentalists who do not understand the | | | | tenant. The center was good, but probably the coffee |
| cleanliness of the industry or water usage. | | | | place was too well placed and even with a drive |
| Underground tank rules with regards to fuel or reclaim | | | | through would drive too much traffic into that strip |
| tanks. Labor issues if you do more than coin-op, | | | | center for parking. Parking in downtowns is equally as |
| automatic. Full serves are loved by customers if | | | | important. Building downtowns is always a tough one in |
| excellent quality prevails there, but a crew that has | | | | convincing the older thriving businesses that street |
| part time drug users can ruin your business quickly. | | | | improvements, construction and general obstructions |
| Labor will be an issue. Regarding a location in the town | | | | are necessary to do it. Long term it is great, but short |
| of Windsor as this study samples example: the orange | | | | term it is an issue, construction out front will kill you.If |
| areas which would mean that it is zoned service area, | | | | you look at the highend areas of Naples Fl, Palm |
| least amount of issues with planning commission and | | | | Desert CA, Scottsdale AZ, you see some great work |
| easiest to get passed easily. Also near the mid center | | | | at total revitalization. But the old funky look of Key |
| off ramp. Near the Retail Center, looks like a regional | | | | West FL, Manhattan Beach CA, Montpellier Vt. you |
| mall, near there is best on main road, but have to find | | | | see they also work well. If you happen to go to GA |
| an open location with no center medians. Looks like | | | | and visit a little town 15 miles south of Statesboro, GA |
| traffic issues there, notice the FWY interchange | | | | you will see it is the Fruit Cake Capital of the World |
| signaled intersections. It is not near downtown at all but | | | | and actually no where near San Francisco. A |
| would serve a small business owner better than a | | | | revitalization project must tke into consideration the |
| downtown revitalized area. A detail shop would be a | | | | natural flavor, in this case fruit. Every town is know for |
| better use of a closed down town area gas station, | | | | something. This is of value. Oxnard CA, strawberry |
| fixed up real nice. I have seen plenty in FL, GA, SC, AL, | | | | Capital. Bozeman MT Sweet Pea Festival, heck |
| TN but also in Gold Rush Towns of CA, in the rural | | | | recently we were in Sheridan WY for the Hoops |
| towns of north Washington state. Also your volume | | | | Festival. But we have also been to the avocado |
| will come from a 10-mile radius, and you would be | | | | festival, wine festival all in CA, Raspberry Festival in |
| better served in the Suburban area near box stores, | | | | UT and Tamale Festival in El Centro near the Mexican |
| QSRs and strip malls. The demographics are good | | | | Border. There is always a need for a local celebration |
| where in Windsor, lots of Bay Area rich refugees who | | | | to draw from miles. Renaissance Fairs, October fest, |
| bought right and modified their town. Took an existing | | | | even the Forth of July Extravaganza. You have to |
| town and developed the hell out of it, driving up | | | | make it happen with the locals and draw from |
| property values and still a revitalized down town would | | | | everywhere, parades. I have had the good fortune of |
| draw them in and with their money they would spend.In | | | | planning these events, participating in them and bringing |
| Windsor, CA, if you end up North West side where all | | | | in dollars. So far in America at last count the cities |
| the orange is there could be issues with visibility and | | | | which have revitalized themselves have refurbished |
| you could be cut off by C-Stores with rollovers, car | | | | 90,000 buildings, sounds similar to what we are doing |
| wash for $3.99 with fill up. But the middle to upper | | | | thanks to really great and faithful American |
| middle will not take their SUVs through there thus you | | | | corporations in the Open Markets of the cities of |
| advantage. Buying an existing car wash might be a | | | | Afghanistan and streets and market areas of |
| better play, but car washes go out of business for a | | | | Baghdad. For more information on providing jobs and |
| reason, it is not always poor service. It could be | | | | money flow locally in a town near you check it out. |
| location issues. Generally a combination. Towns tend to | | | | |