Entrepreneurs are courageous risk-takers, individuals who pair a willingness to succeed with a passionate drive to chart their own course. Ham Lake, Minnesota native Bobby Awaijane comes from a family of small business owners – entrepreneurship is in his blood.
His father, Assad, has spent 40 years owning, operating, and selling several gas stations and convenience stores throughout the Twin Cities. His mother Cindy previously operated a coffee shop. Bobby’s personal experience includes owning a convenience store with his cousins.
Now, following years of planning, construction and financing through 21st Century Bank – Bobby’s Car Wash is open for business. The young owner/operator is pleased to share that his brand-new business is already receiving considerable community support.
Eager to take a deeper dive into entrepreneurship, Bobby observed a vacant lot in Ham Lake and a gap in the market – few car washes were close to home. He purchased the lot and secured financing from our small business lending team and constructed the car wash.
From the beginning, Bobby and his family have placed priority on partnering with locally owned businesses such as theirs on the services they need to operate. They chose to partner with 21st Century Bank for funding after the owners of Stone Construction, Inc. recommended them.
The family worked with Todd Klingl, Senior Vice President Head of Lending at 21st Century Bank. Utilizing the Small Business Administration (SBA) programs for financing, Bobby and Cindy received an SBA 504 loan and an SBA 7(a) working capital loan.
“I enjoyed working with him,” said Todd. “He and his family are very pleasant, and overall, they’re just nice people. And I had not had the opportunity to work with someone as young as Bobby on a project of this size, which made it all the more exciting.”
Today, Bobby and his nine team members are laser-focused on providing exceptional service. Within a few days of its opening, Bobby is already negotiating a fleet program with a local car dealership.
Their wash features three drive-up kiosks which prepare to feed vehicles into the wash – one of which is labeled as a VIP lane. The lane is programmed to scan the license plates of those with VIP packages and prioritize getting them through the wash first.
The inside of the wash includes a two-belt track system that can support larger, lifted vehicles and automobiles with larger tires. Bobby also offers added value for his customers through a 24/7 on-site pet wash. With this service, customers are offered a range of shampoo, conditioning treatments, and additional services tailored to pamper their beloved pets and keep them looking fresh.
Bobby’s initial goal is simple – “Customer service is really important to us. That’s why we have the employees we do when other places are automating everything. We like to see our customers and get to know them. It gives us the chance to be personable and make sure customers get what they pay for,” he said.
At Bobby’s, drivers can take “A Deeper Dive Into Clean.” The brand theme is deep-sea diving, a profession that took his grandfather throughout the Middle East. “He was very well known and respected,” said Cindy of her father-in-law. “We wanted to use that theme in honor of him.”
“Todd was super helpful. I called, emailed, and texted him a lot,” said Bobby. “And he was very patient with me. With any questions I asked, he helped me figure it out or knew what to do…. He made it easy. I wasn’t familiar with the process and was learning on the go, but I learned a lot from Todd. He is very helpful and easy to work with."
