‘Soapy disco’ for your ride

For Kyle Thompson, foam is where the heart is.

As a high school student at Winnipeg’s Transcona Collegiate, one of his classes required him to create a business plan. He was cleaning vehicles part-time at the Chamois Car Wash and Detail Centre, so he used the assignment to envision a car wash of his own — one with a Regent Avenue address.

Fast forward some 25 years later and that dream is a reality. Thompson is the co-owner and general manager at Flamingo Express Car Wash.

Located at 868 Regent Ave. West — east of the row of car dealerships that call the thoroughfare home and across the street from an Amazon distribution hub — Flamingo opened last month.

“It’s kind of a cool full-circle moment,” Thompson said. “My mom swears she has that (school assignment) somewhere. She hasn’t tracked it down for me. I’m thinking it’s lost.”

What isn’t lost is Thompson’s passion for the industry. The 42-year-old spent more than two decades working at various Chamois locations, including around 15 years in management roles.

“(Chamois owners) the Watson family … treated me super well over the years and gave me the opportunity to learn so much about the business,” Thompson said.

He left the company a few years ago and became a partner at Midcan Door, a garage door installation and repair enterprise.

It wasn’t long before he was plotting his return to the car wash industry. He brought his longtime friend Justin Glays on board as a partner and the duo started planning what would become Flamingo.

Unlike the full service offered at Chamois, Flamingo provides an automatic car wash. At the same time, there are human points of contact along the way. Customers with questions can bypass the pay stations and talk to a cashier at a drive-thru window, and an attendant is on standby at the wash tunnel entrance in case patrons need help aligning their vehicle with the conveyor belt.

In addition to a trip through the 45-metre-long wash tunnel, each wash includes the use of one of Flamingo’s 17 outdoors stalls, where customers can vacuum the interior — and dry the exterior — of their vehicles for no additional charge. Patrons can also use one of two washers to clean their floor mats.

Thompson declined to specify how much he and Glays invested to build Flamingo, but he did say they spent $2.5 million on equipment alone.

The two friends leaned hard into their East Winnipeg roots when branding the business. The lifelong Transcona residents named it Flamingo after the aquatic bird that’s synonymous with the neighbourhood, and decorated the 7,000-square-foot building with tropical pink and teal paint. Palm trees stand at the wash tunnel’s exit.

The tunnel includes a lighting display that makes after-dark car washes especially fun, Thompson said, adding that one customer described it as a “soapy disco.”

The company’s dedication to the neighbourhood extends beyond aesthetics. Thompson said he and Glays have started supporting local charitable initiatives, including an upcoming golf tournament benefiting the Dream Factory, a Manitoba organization that fulfils dreams for children who are battling life-threatening illnesses.

Flamingo is a family affair, Thompson added. His wife and children are involved with the business, as are the Glays.

The entrepreneurs are pleased with the response the business has received so far. More than 500 people signed up for $45-per-month Founders Club memberships before the car wash opened, Thompson said.

Flamingo offers three single-wash options that range in price from $17 to $29. Customers can also choose one of the three membership options, each of which includes unlimited washing on registered vehicles. They range in price from $39 to $50 per month.

Offering memberships has become standard in the industry over the last four or five years, said Lars Hecht, an international car wash consultant based in Denmark and the United States.

Known in the industry as the Car Wash Doctor, Hecht advises all car wash owners — whether they operate one location or dozens — to sell memberships.

“If you don’t have subscriptions today as a car wash operator, your closest competitor will have it before you and you’ll lose clients to the competition,” he said. “It’s all about trust and quality and service.”

Flamingo employs 17 people and is open daily from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. The car wash recycles its water, Thompson said.

aaron.epp@freepress.mb.ca