The red carpet treatment at Hollywood Car Wash
Amarjit Atwal was already a success when he decided to open Hollywood Car Wash in Brampton, Ont.
Before Hollywood Car Wash debuted in August 2023, Atwal had decades of experience in automotive sales and service, operating a successful dealership, repair business and tire sales operation. He is proud to still be a member of the Used Car Dealers Association of Ontario (UCDA) and the Ontario Motor Vehicle Industry Council (OMVIC).
Those decades working in automotive sales and service proved invaluable to Atwal when he decided to open a car wash operation.
“What I drew from my previous business experience was knowledge about customer service,” he says. “That is what is vital in this business, one that is so focused on the customer, where you are interacting with them in a one-on-one capacity. You want to make sure that your customer is pleased with the service they are receiving, that they believe they are ‘getting their money’s worth’, that they leave our business with a clean, shiny and dry car.”
Atwal adds that for him, customer relations all come down to ensuring that the customer’s needs are met. “The main goal we have here at Hollywood Car Wash is to make sure the customer’s experience is fantastic. We are not merely aiming for a great experience; it must be a fantastic experience, from the time they arrive at the property, which has been thought out to be clean and attractive—from the exterior décor to the interior layout, customer waiting area, from the wash tunnel to the express and fine detailing area and even the washrooms.”
The building, located at 8007 Airport Rd. in Brampton, Ont., near Steeles Avenue and Highway 407, is a little over 20,000 sq. ft.
Its express tunnel can handle 150 vehicles per hour—up to 175 on very busy days. In the same building, there is an express and full-service detailing operation. Vehicles are placed on an STI flat-belt conveyor after their tunnel wash, allowing a team of employees to work on the vehicle as it moves past, each performing their assigned tasks.
For express detailing, staff are responsible for hand-drying the vehicle; cleaning the interior by hand, including door jambs, console and cup holders; vacuuming the seats and floors; cleaning floor mats; and addressing hard-to-reach areas such as under the seats.
The belt allows staff to work on multiple vehicles efficiently. For full detailing services, the vehicle moves from the conveyor to a designated area for more extensive work.
Customers can relax in a waiting area with large windows that overlook the work and visit the on-site convenience store for snacks, drinks, and car accessories. The store includes a wide selection of air fresheners, phone chargers and cables.
The large windows looking onto the detailing operations serve another purpose. It reinforces the customer experience, letting vehicle owners see what is happening to their vehicles. As well, the tunnel wash has large windows down its entire length letting those going through the tunnel to see onto the detail operations, upselling the express and full-detail service.
“When customers see that, they think ‘Hey, look at what they are doing! They are vacuuming the interior of the car; they are cleaning the inside!’ So, the next time they come to us, they ask for both that tunnel exterior wash and the express detail service. Having that large glass wall on the tunnel side letting people see the detailing service, acts as a powerful cross-promotion tool,” Atwal says.
Proud of his staff, family and industry support
Atwal is particularly proud that Hollywood Car Wash is a family affair. His wife works the front counter helping book appointments for full detailing service and answering customer queries, while their six of seven children do everything from managing the car wash’s social media to working in the car wash alongside staff or managing the day-to-day operations.
Atwal sees everyone who works for him as part of a team, each critical to the success of the business.
“One thing I cannot stress enough is teamwork is a business such as this,” he adds. “We are open 12 hours a day, seven days a week and 365 days a year, which means Christmas, New Year’s Day—rain, or shine. Because we are a customer-focused business, teamwork is critical and everyone is invested in the success of the business, from the employees to the managers.”
He values his employees deeply. When one worker requested a small raise to help start a family and move to a larger home, Atwal granted a larger-than-requested increase to support the employee’s personal and career growth. Another key to success? Industry support. Atwal credits the teams at NCS, Sonny’s and Eurovac for helping him choose the right equipment and chemicals for a top-quality wash—now and for future expansion.
“They helped us in the design of the car wash, choosing the equipment that we needed, in the chemicals we would need to provide the best quality car wash, from the different chemicals for each season to the waxes, drying agents and ceramic shine agents,” he says. “Everyone took the time to sit with me and ask me my goals and needs, and suggested the appropriate systems to meet those needs, and even gave advice on the layout of the car wash and supervised the installation of the equipment. Finally, they all came after to ensure the equipment was all operating correctly.”
Atwal says there are plans to expand in the future. Next to its current location, Hollywood Car Wash has a permit to open another near 9,000 sq.-ft. building, giving the business the space to grow when the time comes.
All photography by Jaime Hogge.
