With 12 bays, air guns, spot-free water, engine/tire cleaner, vacuums, Blasto-Dry and even a dog wash, Vito Cosentino’s car wash has the offerings to keep cars (and canines) coming back. But when he purchased extra land adjacent to his car wash, Vito was looking for another profit center to make his Toronto, Ontario facility a true destination.
A vended laundry seemed the perfect idea and a demographics study of the area corroborated that assessment. His added incentive came from the fact that other laundries in the area utilized dated equipment and were not well kept.
Since opening, the laundry, which also offers drop-off service, has done exactly what Vito expected it to. In fact, it has been so successful that he added a 2,600-square-foot addition, bringing its total size to 5,000 square feet, believed to be the largest coin laundry in Canada.
He says the attended store’s drop-off service for time-strapped customers has been particularly profitable.
"I had a feeling it would be popular," Cosentino said. "We charge a dollar per pound and we’re doing a huge volume." So popular is the service that he’s had to add extra labor to meet the demand.
So how does this president of the Canadian Car Wash Association’s board of directors feel about the laundry business combining with a car wash? Well, he’s already looking for another location to implement this new strategy.
"I’ve got a winning formula I’m trying to replicate," Vito said, adding that IPSO will be a key component in his next laundry as well.
"I am particularly happy with the IPSO washers. I cannot believe the lack of maintenance required. When you purchase equipment you really are entering into a partnership with your supplier. I do not have time to constantly look at repairing machines that have gone down," Cosentino said. "The IPSO washing machines are very reliable. When the rare occurrence of a machine needing repair happens, it is usually very straightforward to make the repairs. My IPSO rep., Carlo Martini, was particularly helpful in providing a great layout for my store. IPSO provides a great product and stands behind it."
To learn more about Wash ’N Go, visit www.washngo.ca.
