TAMPA, Fla. – It’s a question that starts like a Jerry Seinfeld stand-up joke: What’s the deal with all of these car washes?

What You Need To Know

  • New car washes are being built all over the Tampa Bay area

  • The area is attractive to car washes due to more people moving here and driving

  • Subscriptions also make the car washes good business opportunities

If you’ve driven around Tampa Bay lately, you’ve likely seen a new car wash or one that’s being built.

Our Traffic Expert Tim Wronka gets questions about this a lot.

He found a simple answer: Car washes can make a lot of money.

There are more people moving to and driving in our area than ever before. And a lot of these new car washes now offer monthly subscriptions, which is a steady revenue stream.

Ademir Garcia is a longtime employee and general manager at Mission Bell Car Wash on Fletcher Ave in Tampa. In his more than 20 years there, he’s seen the ins and outs of the car wash business.

Now there’s a new challenge: a lot more competition.

“Business always varies depending on the economy or weather. But with the new car washes coming into town, it opens up the market for competitiveness,” Garcia said.

Many of these new car washes differ from Garcia’s. While his is considered full-service, many of the newer ones are automated with self-serve vacuums.

While not a new concept, automated washes require less staff, which helps with expenses. And the state-of-the-art designs and subscription deals can make them attractive to new customers.

If you drive along US 19 in Palm Harbor, for example, you’ll see several car washes like this being built or recently opened.

Brands like Woodie’s Wash Shack, which is locally owned, has a new location going in there. Plus, Woodie’s has more than a dozen other locations on the way throughout Tampa Bay, according to their website.

Other brands like Take 5, Big Dan’s and Bubble Down are also expanding in the area.

“It’s easier money, especially if they get folks on a membership. Whether the folks use the membership or not, they’re still taking in the money,” Garcia said.

Plus, everyone needs a car to get around. That’s a steady stream of customers. Then there’s all the elements drivers deal with in Tampa Bay: pollen, love bugs, the beach, etc.

Even with all the new competition, Garcia feels his full-service car wash like his still has a place in Tampa.

“Because it’s a family-owned business, it makes it a lot easier to be a part of this community. Watching kids grow up. People interacting with each other,” Garcia said.