In a day full of appointments and deadlines, basic vehicle maintenance can oftentimes fall into the ”I’ll do it later” box.
At the 14-year-old flagship location of Bay Breeze Car Wash & Lube, located off Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd., just north of I-75 (in North Palms Village), you can move that maintenance out of deferment and into the checked box.
Whether it’s an express or full-service car wash, Bay Breeze Car Wash & Lube is going to get you in and out on the hop.
“The quality of the job a customer gets and the in and out time getting it done is something that sets us apart from other car washes,” VP of operations Scott Barone says.
Bay Breeze Car Wash is still expanding, too. The company plans to open a new Express Wash location in Wesley Chapel on SR 54 and Vandine Rd. by the end of this year.
Just how fast is Bay Breeze Car Wash & Lube?
If it’s an oil change, Barone says most customers are in and out in 15 minutes once work begins on their car. Coming soon to the New Tampa flagship location, customers will be able to remain inside their vehicle when purchasing Express Car Washes, a new feature that will allow Express Wash customers to get in and out even quicker, as the location now has a much-improved Express Wash lane.
Express Wash lanes are offered at all seven Bay Breeze locations across the Tampa Bay area, including at the company’s other New Tampa location off BBD, in the Trout Creek area of New Tampa, just a little south of Wesley Chapel.
The Express Wash aims at getting customers in and out in less than three minutes. Now, there even are payment methods in place so that the customer never has to leave his or her vehicle. “We keep the express in express and this applies to both oil changes and washes,” Barone says. “You’re not getting in and out in 15 minutes (for an oil change) if you go to the dealership.”
For vehicle maintenance, Bay Breeze Car Wash & Lube can do more than just oil changes, too.
Most standard vehicle maintenance services are available, including: windshield wipers, air filter, transmission/coolant/engine flush, light bulb replacement and fuel injection. Check out BayBreezeCarWash.com for a full list of available services.
Bay Breeze Car Wash & Lube uses Mobil 1 oil and in the month of June and July is offering a free car wash (valued at $20) with the purchase of a full synthetic oil change.
Upgrading & Expanding
The Express Wash area (photo, right) at the flagship location has reopened with a new Express Wash menu, complete with a dedicated lane and easier-to-negotiate new exit from the facility.
And, while the revamped Express Wash lane will not have a free vacuum area included with each wash, the flagship location’s renovation will include a towel dry for each Express Wash purchased, something Barone says is not offered at other Bay Breeze locations.
Along with the physical renovations, Bay Breeze Car Wash & Lube also is offering new membership options, ranging from as little as $20 per month to $50 per month. They hope to have a new Unlimited Full Service Membership available within the coming months as well. The $50 Ultimate Package includes a tire shine, application of a nano-polymer sealant and a triple foam polish. Both memberships include unlimited Express Washes.
Express Washes are done using the same spinning rollers that you remember as a kid; however, instead of the coarse bristled brushes, Bay Breeze uses 2nd Generation Envirosoft brushes, which are made from foam.
“It’s closed-cell foam technology where no particles get trapped,” Barone says. “It’s the best material on the market for the surface of your vehicle.”
Home-Grown Talent
New Tampa general manager Terrance Ramoutar and assistant manager José Ortiz have both come up through the ranks at Bay Breeze Car Wash & Lube.
Most Bay Breeze locations have between six and 10 employees. The flagship station in New Tampa, however, has 60.
“We call this location (New Tampa) ‘Bay Breeze University’ because it’s where we identify talent,” Barone says. “Most (of our) management staff passes through this store at some point.”
Ramoutar has 15 years of experience in the industry and ran the car wash at the New Tampa location prior to Bay Breeze taking it over in 2004.
Ortiz worked in detailing at Stadium Toyota prior to coming over to Bay Breeze 17 months ago, and helped open the location on BBD in the Trout Creek area.
“José stood out,” Barone says. “We look for people with a hunger and desire to grow and from the beginning, José demonstrated that he was responsible, motivated and dedicated, and he rose to become a manager.”
Ortiz says he learned a lot about the company and managing it at the Trout Creek location.
“Multi-tasking, workload, employee relations, accommodating customers, the experience put me in touch with some of the problems you come in contact with at express locations,” Ortiz said. “When I transitioned over to full service, you’re dealing with many more employees and you have to learn to schedule weeks ahead and forecast things.”
Ramoutar was a greeter at the previous car wash and when the transition to Bay Breeze happened, he was elevated to supervisor and, eventually, to general manager.
“It takes a lot of worry away, knowing these guys, knowing their history, how they work,” Barone says. “Having them in key roles is important. Otherwise, it just doesn’t work.”
Barone himself has worked his way up, too. He was the GM of the Brandon location (2007-13) and has been Bay Breeze corporate’s VP of operations for the last five years.
All three have the same sentiments about working in a family atmosphere.
“In my experience, a family-owned company with a family atmosphere treats employees and customers the same way,” Ramoutar says. “It feels like a family here. That’s why we have people that have been coming to us for 15 years.”
Bay Breeze Car Wash & Lube also has gift cards available.
The flagship New Tampa location of Bay Breeze Car Wash & Lube is located at 17501 N. Palms Village Pl. (next to Steak & Shake) and is open Monday-Saturday, 8 a.m.-5:30 p.m., and 10 a.m.-4 p.m. on Sunday. For more info, call (813) 615-1333.
The Trout Creek location is at 20306 Trout Creek Dr. and its car wash services are available seven days a week, 8 a.m.-7 p.m. Lube services are available at this location Monday-Saturday, 8 a.m.-6 p.m., and 10 a.m.-4 p.m. on Sunday. For more info, call (813) 973-0033 or visit BayBreezeCarWash.com.
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