Bay Breeze Car Wash & Lube Growing Fast

Moses Pomales, the general manager at Bay Breeze Car Wash & Lube’s “express” location just south of County Line Rd., monitors the traffic through the express wash tunnel.
Moses Pomales, the general manager at Bay Breeze Car Wash & Lube’s “express” location just south of County Line Rd., monitors the traffic through the express wash tunnel.

Setting out on a cross-town, rush hour drive doesn’t have to be an onerous journey if your car is looking good and running right. Bay Breeze Car Wash & Lube can help by cleaning your car’s finish to a spotless shine, detailing the interior to look, feel and smell great and ensuring that all of your vehicle’s life-giving fluids are refreshed, all in one visit.

And, an automotive makeover at Bay Breeze all but guarantees that your view will be through a clean windshield.

Bay Breeze has seven locations in four counties, from Polk to Pinellas, including three that are within minutes of most Wesley Chapel residents.

The company’s flagship location is the full-service operation in the heart of New Tampa on N. Palms Village Pl., off of Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd., just north of I-75. The second New Tampa location is an express wash and lube operation on Trout Creek Dr., off of BBD, north of Paul R. Wharton High (next to Burger 21). Many Wesley Chapel residents have found the Land O’Lakes express wash and lube facility located a little west of the Tampa Premium Outlets on S.R. 54 at Foggy Ridge Pkwy.

The hands-on detailing provided at the N. Palms Village facility (referred to as the New Tampa location on Bay Breeze’s website) provides bumper-to-bumper, carpet-to-headliner, sidewall-to-sidewall cleaning. Lube services include oil and filter changes and preventive maintenance on cooling systems and transmissions.

Bay Breeze’s express wash and lube facilities offer quick, efficient, hands-free, machine-operated cleaning as well as basic upkeep. A free express wash is included with each oil change and express washes include free customer use of vacuums to clean their interiors and air to inflate their tires.

The family that owns the business has made being the Tampa Bay area’s premiere car wash and lube destination its goal. VP of operations Scott Barone says achieving that means making a strong commitment to customer service.

“We like to say ‘above and beyond,’” Barone says. “That means the place looks good and things are operating at the Bay Breeze level of quality.”

Keeping Customers Satisfied

Barone identified five areas the company emphasizes when conducting business: “Quality, service, cleanliness, friendliness (being easy to do business with) and safety.”

Abiding by these high standards has earned Bay Breeze recognition from readers of the Tampa Bay Business Journal, who voted the company “Best in the Biz” for the years 2012, 2013 and 2015 in the Favorite Car Wash & Detailer category.

There’s also praise from locals like Pam Cazes, who has been a longtime Bay Breeze customer and whose entire family of six drivers also use the New Tampa locations.

“We take our cars there for detailing and oil changes,” says Cazes, who lives in Cory Lake Isles. “The service is excellent and they treat the cars with respect.”

At the Trout Creek express location (called the Bruce B. Downs store on Bay Breeze’s website), general manager Moses Pomales is responsible for providing customers an optimal Bay Breeze experience. Pomales came up through the ranks of the company, starting out as a lube greeter and working in a succession of supervisory positions over nine years before assuming his current position.

Pomales says his approach is to always put customer needs first.

“I walk the facility and interact with customers to see what they need,” the Cross Creek resident says. “We’re here to give them the best experience they can have, from beginning to end.”

That experience starts as soon as a customer enters a Bay Breeze driveway, with a greeter providing directions to the appropriate service area. If maintenance is on the agenda, the car’s VIN is scanned on an iPad and its service history is available to the technicians.

The customer waiting area is decorated and maintained like a bank lobby in terms of cleanliness and comfort. But, Barone says, it’s not as if express lube customers have a lot of time to settle in for a long stay.

“As soon as we start working on a car, our goal is 15 minutes or less for an oil change,” Barone says.

Bay Breeze acquired the Trout Creek location about a year ago. The company closed the facility down for a few weeks to re-configure the express wash tunnels and make other improvements. Barone invites people who had been customers of the previous business to check out the changes.

“Come on back and see us,” he says.

For drivers who like to maintain their cars in spotless condition, Bay Breeze offers monthly VIP package memberships that save frequent customers money.

“We get customers who come in every morning to get a car wash,” Pomales says.

Bay Breeze also offers discounts to members of the military and the law enforcement community.

Since opening in North Palms Village in 2004, Bay Breeze has grown to its current seven locations and about 100 employees, according to Barone. The full-service New Tampa location is the largest facility, with 55 employees.

Achieving that growth means investing in people and technology, as well as real estate for locations. The company has an established training program for new employees who may be new to the car wash and lube industry, including certification for technicians through the Automotive Oil Change Association.

Computers track everything from traffic flow through the wash tunnels and chemical usage to sales of wiper blades. That information is even available via mobile devices, so Bay Breeze managers aren’t tethered to a computer to stay on top of things and can be available to maintain the company’s high level of customer service.

When it comes to the actual cleaning of their cars, customers benefit from the latest car wash technology, especially when it comes to protection from the harsh environment of Florida’s sunshine and thunderstorms. Various sealants and protectants are available, including a new Nano-polymer protective sealant. Barone credits using the premium product with keeping his car’s appearance at its best.

“I personally have not had my vehicle hand-waxed in over two years, but because I use our Nano product an average of once a week, it still looks like I just drove it off the showroom floor,” he says.

Barone adds that people need to wash their cars more often in the summer to combat the effects of both the sun’s ultraviolet radiation and the wearing effects of rain on a car’s finish.

While Bay Breeze provides car wash and lube services, Barone says what the company really is offering its customers is actually much more valuable.

“It comes down to time,” Barone says. “Time is something you can’t get back. I can take 30 minutes in my driveway or three minutes in a car wash.”

Bay Breeze Car Wash & Lube is open daily, with hours varying by location. You can learn more by visiting BayBreezeCarWash.com or contacting one of the following locations:  New Tampa – 17501 N. Palm Village Pl., 615-1333; Bruce B. Downs – 20306 Trout Creek Dr., 973-0033; Land O’Lakes – 24124 S.R. 54, 949-7297.

Beach House Assisted Living Facility Breaking Ground.

beachhouseThe assisted living landscape in the Wesley Chapel and New Tampa area promises to be more crowded by the end of next year, as two new facilities are scheduled to open, including the Beach House at Wiregrass Ranch in Wesley Chapel.

The Beach House at Wiregrass Ranch will break ground Wednesday, Nov. 2 at 30070 State Road 56 (one-half mile east of Mansfield Blvd.) on its new, approximately 93,000 sq-ft freestanding community. The facility is dedicated to seniors who need assistance with the activities of daily living and specialized memory care services for residents with Alzheimer’s and dementia. It will accommodate 100 area seniors, with private residences including 67 alcove one-bedroom or two-bedroom plans for assisted living and 33 suites for memory care.

Allan R. Brown of the Dallas, TX-based Prevarian Companies, unveiled his company’s third Beach House Assisted Living & Memory Care community — there also are locations in Jacksonville and Naples — at the Sept. 22 Economic Development Briefing put on by the Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce (WCCC) at Pebble Creek Golf Club.

Located on S.R. 56 less than a mile east of the Shops at Wiregrass mall, the Beach House will be the largest assisted living facility in Wesley Chapel when it opens, and will have approximately 50 employees.

Amenities at Beach House Wiregrass Ranch will include a restaurant style dining room and private dining room, activities room, salon and spa, theater and outdoor living areas.

Lifecare Services, which serves more than 33,000 older adults nationwide, will serve as the operator of the Beach House.

“(We) will be applying for an extended congregate care license, which allows us to do more in an assisted living setting,’’ Brown said. There will be a nurse on staff and people to help with medications, but no medical facility.

Features Galore

Brown says the community also will have a secure, enclosed courtyard, multiple dining venues, a wellness center and even a bar. The name Beach House is meant to evoke old memories of renting a beach house for the summer. “Many of the elderly we serve have that in their family histories,” he says. “It’s a really positive memory.”

Allan R. Brown (left) of Prevarian Companies talks to local business leaders at the Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce Economic Development Briefing last month about The Beach House at Wiregrass (above), which will become the fourth living assisted facility in our area when it opens in December 2017.
Allan R. Brown (left) of Prevarian Companies talks to local business leaders at the Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce Economic Development Briefing last month about The Beach House at Wiregrass, which will become the fourth living assisted facility in our area when it opens in December 2017.

The newest entry in the assisted living space hopes to soon sign up its first residents for a December 2017 opening.

“It’s going to be a beautiful community and a great complement to the other things going on in Wiregrass Ranch,’’ Brown said.

The average resident in assisted living facilities, according to Brown, is an 86-year-old woman, and the average stay in a facility is 28.3 months.

The Beach House will join the three assisted living communities already located or under construction in New Tampa, including The Legacy at Highwoods Preserve , which was the first such community in the area when it opened in May of 2015.

A few months later, Memory Lane Cottage in Tampa Palms, a facility for persons with Alzheimer’s and dementia-related disease, opened with 20 private suites.

Discovery Village, which is located right across the street from Freedom High in Tampa Palms (and less than two miles from both The Legacy and Memory Lane), recently announced the opening of its on-site Preview Gallery.

If you’re wondering why so many assisted living facilities are popping up in our area, Brown cited statistics that say more than 900,000 people nationwide currently live in such settings, and the number of cases of Alzheimer’s is increasing. Brown said 5.1-million were diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2010, and by 2050 that number is expected to be 13.5 million.

No One Hurt In Tampa Palms Wreck, But Residents Fear What Could Have Been

maserati
This $80,000+ Maserati Ghibli caused about $50,000 in property damage when it crashed into the brick monument sign at the entrance to Buckingham at Tampa Palms.

Ryan Hamaker was returning to his home in Buckingham at Tampa Palms when he caught site of a number of cars outside the entrance into his development.

The car that really caught his attention, however, was the 2015 metallic gold Maserati Ghibli planted front-first into the brick wall that once welcomed visitors to Buckingham.

“I was in complete shock,’’ said Hamaker, who is also the Home Owner’s Association president at Buckingham.

According to the Tampa Police Department, Kensington at Tampa Palms resident Mohammed Ahmed Salti was traveling west on Tampa Palms Blvd. when he failed to notice a red pick-up truck with a trailer carting three large drums that was pulling out of Buckingham and turning east on Sept. 17.

Surveillance video, viewed by the Neighborhood News, doesn’t appear to show Salti making any attempt to veer out of the way, but the Maserati clipped the back passenger’s side of the trailer and was redirected into a brick wall on the west side of the entrance.

“We had a contractor coming out of the gate,” Hamaker said. “In his own version (of the story), he saw the car and he had plenty of time to pull out, he just didn’t realize the guy was just flying.”

maseratti-2No one was injured in the crash.

But, some Buckingham residents have been left wondering what might have happened. They shudder to consider that the Maserati, which is valued at roughly $80,000-$90,000, flew through a corner that serves as a school bus stop for Liberty Middle School and is heavily populated on weekday mornings.

“That’s the first thing I thought,’’ said Jennifer Evans, whose 11- and 13-year-old sons wait on that corner in the mornings for the bus. “Someone could have gotten killed. It’s crazy.”

Evans was returning home from errands when she saw police cars.

“I was a little curious why there was a gold car decorating our signage,’’ she said.

Since the brakes were never applied before the car crashed, if the wall hadn’t been there, it is likely the Maserati would have ended up in the backyard, and maybe the bedroom, of its residents, said a homeowner named Kulendrian, who asked us to not use his last name.

“I heard a big noise,” he said. “I didn’t really know what happened. It was right behind my bedroom. Without the tree and landscape, my property would have been hit.”

Bricks did fly into the side of his house and also damaged his pool cage. Oftentimes, Kulendrian’s mother-in-law would be tending to plants in that area.

maseratti-1“Thank God that nobody was there,’’ he said.

Kulendrian says he and his wife often hear the sounds of cars screaming down Tampa Palms Blvd., and sometimes rush to their upstairs window to catch a glimpse of who it is.

“You just hear the zoom,’’ he says.

Police say Salti was traveling the posted speed limit of 40 mph when he struck the trailer, although it is impossible to tell his exact speed. Those who have viewed the surveillance video say it appears he was traveling faster.

The wall was destroyed. Almost two weeks after the accident, Hamaker says Salti’s car insurance company, Progressive, is refusing to pay to rebuild it.

Hamaker estimates the wall damage at $45,000. It is composed of real brick, not stucco or veneer. Some of those brick pieces hit the house behind the wall, and one large chunk of brick came to rest on the hood of the Maserati and was too heavy to move off without mechanical assistance.

He said all Tampa Palms properties have special computer-engraved monument signs and that the engraving alone costs more than $13,000.

Hamaker said there also was damage done to the lights, as the Maserati hit the external power supply, and busted the city water main that is used for the landscaping.

“There was a water spout when we moved the car,’’ Hamaker said.

He was also frustrated because Buckingham HOA just had the entire front of the entrance re-landscaped, at a cost of $8,000, two days before the Maserati crashed over it.

Speeding cars ripping through Tampa Palms Blvd., especially near Buckingham and Tuscany, is a growing concern. Tampa Palms Blvd. is a collector road, so no speed bumps, stop signs or lights are permitted. The road is a long, curved two-lane stretch of semi-clear sailing that Hamaker and other residents complain is a popular choice for some of the souped-up cars in the area.

“We definitely have a problem with speeders,’’ Hamaker said. “They all tend to be these exotic cars around Tampa Palms. Most concerning is that Tampa Palms is loaded with kids. In fact, on Saturdays and Sundays, it is not uncommon for my wife and our two kids to be out there cycling. And, the fact that this was right over a school bus stop is even scarier.”

Evans said there is a huge walking path along Tampa Palms Blvd., and on most days, kids are biking, joggers are running and families are walking their dogs on the path.

“The driver of that car was so unimaginably lucky that there was no one walking through or parked there,’’ Evans said. “It could have been a huge disaster.”

Hamaker says that the HOA at Buckingham has hired off duty police officers twice a month the past few years to monitor the speeds in his community, and tickets have been issued in the past. While that may annoy some people, Hamaker said the sight of the metallic gold Maserati Ghibli slammed into a brick wall just a few feet from a school bus stop is a stark reminder of what could have been.

“It’s got to stop,’’ he said.