I got the privilege of interviewing Mike Habegger about the Ride and Shine Car Wash. I asked questions about starting his business and challenges with running it.
Mike said the Ride and Shine Car Wash has been in business for 9 years. He started the business because Pawnee City did not have one at the time. He and many others he talked to wanted an automatic car wash, so he designed it, got the proper permits, and built it himself.
Some challenges of owning a car wash are keeping all of the machines in working order and preventing everything from freezing in the wintertime. "There are a lot of moving parts, valves, hoses, and computers that all need to work together to wash a vehicle in the automatic bay. Everything that moves can wear on something else, so there is always continuous upkeep and maintenance. Owning a car wash is more than just showing up to collect the quarters. There is constant monitoring daily to prevent downtime and even then you still have breakdowns that cost time and money.”
When asked about future plans for the car wash, Mike commented, “At some point, I'll replace the automatic machine so that I can upgrade the types of washes I can offer. I'm also considering putting credit card readers in the hand bay. I currently only accept credit cards for the automatic.”
Thank you, Mike, for taking the time to answer my questions!