Make That Vehicle Shine, Run Like New At Bay Breeze Car Wash & Lube

By Lauren Saslow

While most northerners joke about the lack of seasons in the south, New Tampa and Wesley Chapel residents oftentimes mark two times of each year by prevalent pests; the two most notable ‘seasons’ being mosquito season and lovebug season. Lovebugs, or Plecia nearctica, are a fly species — common along Gulf Coast states — that have flight seasons in late spring and again in late summer. While harmless to humans — they do not sting or bite — lovebug populations are a nuisance to motorists. The acidic egg masses of the dead females that splatter on cars can dry quickly in the subtropical heat, causing ingrained build-up in the clear coat of automobile paint.

“It is important for drivers to be vigilant about washing and waxing their vehicles frequently during this time of year to avoid damaged paint jobs and keep their windshields free from severe smudging which can become a driving hazard,” says Stephen Schab, the managing partner of Bay Breeze Car Wash & Lube, located behind the Walgreens on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. and on Doña Michele Dr. in North Palms Village (about three miles south of the Pasco County line).

Schab adds that Bay Breeze offers a convenient solution to lovebug woes. As a full-service car wash, customers can choose from a simple $5 no-wait express lane to a bumper-to-bumper interior and exterior detail as well as a variety of options in between.

À la carte services allow motorists to customize their service to suit their individual needs, and a full lube service at Bay Breeze allows them to receive an oil change while they wait at a competitive price. In a fast-paced world where New Tampa and Wesley Chapel residents may sometimes neglect a much-needed car wash, the convenience of this New Tampa location (only one traffic light north of the BBD exit off of I-75) allows drivers to squeeze in either a quick or detailed car wash during their commute home.

Using state-of-the-art technology, including Envirosoft 2nd Generation Foam wash material, which is safe for all vehicle finishes, Bay Breeze offers quality care and service catered to fit nearly any budget. From the moment a customer is greeted until the time a supervisor returns your car, quality service is ensured through the entire process.

Since 2004, this privately owned company — which now has six locations throughout the greater Tampa Bay area — has succeeded through the implementation of Bay Breeze’s five key premises: “Quality Service, Clean & Orderly, Safety, Friendly and Easy To Do Business With.”

Schab explains that BayBreeze is a principal-driven company. Born and raised in Chicago, Schab worked as a general manager for 35 years in the metal heat-treating industry with Earl Feltner — the principal owner of FPM Heat Treating. When Feltner retired to Florida and opened Bay Breeze, Schab and his family relocated to Florida as well, where Schab has implemented his effective management through a quality-based employee focus program.

As satisfied customer Robert Parker describes, “The above-and-beyond customer service that [employee Moses Pomales offered] was a true miracle for me and my family. He told me that he takes care of his customers and as long as I’m happy he is happy as well.”

Parker adds, “I highly recommend this location and furthermore will never go anywhere else but (Bay Breeze) for my vehicle service.”

For loyal customers such as Parker, Bay Breeze offers a “Loyalty Gift & Rewards Card” that can be purchased for just $5 and allows returning customers to redeem points toward car wash services, and may be used at Bay Breeze’s full-service car wash locations in both New Tampa and on S.R. 60 in Brandon.

 Comfort & Convenience

In addition to quality service, Bay Breeze Car Wash & Lube also offers a variety of comforts and conveniences to customers while they wait. Outside the lobby, you can relax on benches on a shaded deck and take advantage of the free Wi-Fi, while those who opt for climate-controlled comfort can relax in the lobby on leather couches and chairs while keeping up with the football season or the news on a large flat-screen TV. Customers also may browse through Blue Mountain Arts greeting cards and calendars for sale while sipping on free coffee or the chilled water, soda or juice available for purchase in one of the many coolers along the wall in the waiting area.

The lobby also offers small snacks, candy, car air fresheners and other convenient items for sale, in addition to a window viewing area to watch as their car moves through the wash. The walls are decorated with unique black and white photographs of Tampa historical areas and events. In the event a customer needs to leave the premises while his or her car is being serviced, a complimentary shuttle service is available for nearby locations. Other patrons may opt to simply walk to one of the many nearby businesses or restaurants, including Liang’s Bistro, Chick-fil-A, Steak ‘N Shake and others.

While not all of the Bay Breeze locations offer full service and lube like this location — four of the locations are express car washes with an automated cashier and only one other location (on S.R. 54 in Lutz) offers oil change services — they all include the same level of quality technology and convenience, as well as other auto services, including transmission flushes, coolant flushes, air and oil filters, fuel injector cleansing and wiper blades.

Schab points out the clean counters, free of paperwork and clutter, as well as the employees outfitted in blue and red uniforms emblazoned with the company logo. He adds that the principles of the business are passed down to the nearly 50 employees at this site alone through management-employee communication via small group meetings.

Supporting Education & Much More!

As an established business for nearly a decade, Bay Breeze uses some of its resources to support education locally. For example, Sylvie Wittmann, carnival chairperson for the Tampa Palms Elementary PTA, expressed appreciation to the company for its donation for a raffled gift basket earlier this year.

“We just wanted to let you know we value our relationship with you,” Wittmann said. “Thank you again for your participation and support of Tampa Palms Elementary.”

Florida College Academy of Temple Terrace also expressed thanks recently for Bay Breeze’s contribution to the school’s spring auction, which helped to fund outdoor play areas and purchase a new online reading program. The company’s generous donation of an auction item to the nonprofit General Federation of Women’s Clubs (GFWC) New Tampa Junior Woman’s Club’s annual charity event this past spring helped to fund the Tampa Police Department’s Resources In Community Hope (RICH) House of Sulphur Springs, which serves disadvantaged children and their families by providing local youths with a safe place to complete their homework and get something to eat and drink after school.

Bay Breeze’s charitable contributions extend beyond education, however. Tampa MetLife’s Linda Burrage explains that Bay Breeze’s donation of raffle items and moral support to the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life, which recently was held at Freedom High in Tampa Palms, “honored cancer survivors, paying tribute to the lives we’ve lost to the disease and helped raise money to fight it.”

“There is no complacency in our business,” insists Schab. “We are always looking for ways to improve. There are two ways to move. One is forward and the other is backward, and we don’t want to be doing the latter.”

New Tampa’s Bay Breeze Car Wash & Lube is located at 17501 N. Palms Village Pl., behind Walgreens.

For additional information, visit BayBreezeCarWash.com or call 615-1333. The hours of operation are Monday– Saturday, 8 a.m.–5 p.m. and 10 a.m.–4 p.m. on Sunday. Feel free to call first if the weather appears to be threatening, but the oil change area is open rain or shine.