Lack of Snowfall Impacting Brooklyn Center Car Wash Business
The lack of snowfall has put a pause on a lot of winter industries. That includes a business in Brooklyn Center; a place where you would typically see cars line up throughout the winter.
On an unusually sunny day in deep winter, people lined up in their vehicles at Pop! Car Wash in Brooklyn Center.
“If you look around, every car you see on the road right now is dirty,” said Matt Durand, the car wash’s owner. “That’s what we like to see.”
Matt Durand, who owns Pop! Car Wash in Brooklyn Center, speaks with a customer at the wash’s entrance.
Without much snowfall, though, this year’s warmup car wash traffic is a little different.
“For us, having a good winter season– meaning a lot of snow– is critical for our business. And it’s not enough to just have a little. We have to have a lot,” Durand said.
Durand said winter car dirtiness is most often driven by snow and salt on the roads. A car covered in salt rusts easier, so people are encouraged to wash more often. Without icy roads, salt isn’t needed.
“It’s a weather-driven demand business,” Durand said.
Memberships, which customers can opt into for unlimited washes at a fixed monthly rate, help keep the business going in slower months. But without salt for day-to-day customers, a good car wash isn’t always top of mind.
A Burst of Sunshine
Durand said traffic increased slightly at Pop! when temperatures neared 50 degrees this week.
“This week is what we are used to in the winter months. I would say the nice weather has a lot to do with it, but really it is the first time it hasn’t been all doom and gloom. And these cars are finally dirty,” Durand said.
So for Durand’s business, snow is better. But they are getting a boost from a blast of sunshine.
“It is like all these people that we didn’t even know wash their cars come out of the woodwork! A lot of the folks that are washing today say they haven’t washed their cars all year,” Durand said.
A driver pulls out of the Pop! Car Wash drive-through in Brooklyn Center.
Outside after their washes, customers vacuum their cars. Durand said on sunny days, every stall is occupied. Destanee Wallace, who was cleaning her car at one of the vacuum stalls, said Thursday morning was a no-brainer.
“I live down the street, so this is very convenient,” Wallace said.
Sunny days are great for a refresh. It serves as a chance to spring clean when spring isn’t quite here yet.
“It is really weird to me because I’m used to seeing snow and cold… real cold,” Wallace said.
Inside the wash, sunny days are a slightly different story. Durand said if they had it their way, more winter weather is still on the horizon.
“It is such a weird year! And to think we won’t have snow? I’m predicting snow in March… maybe even April. Fingers crossed!” Durand said.
Pop! Car Wash is a locally-owned business located in Brooklyn Center.
You can visit them at 1080 Shingle Creek Crossing.
