Feb. 10, 2020

The coffee shop has opened, and the car wash is next at Clean Ride Auto Spa.

The new business at 85th Street and Minnesota Avenue next to Schulte Subaru is opening in phases with the goal of being entirely operational by the end of this week.

The Clean Bean coffee shop, which is attached to the car wash and detailing center, already is open.

It offers a variety of coffee drinks by Coffea Roasterie along with hot chocolate, seasonal apple cider, mocha blenders and smoothies, plus several pastries.

“We’re not your standard, run-you-through coffee shop,” manager and marketing specialist Beth Thomas said.

“We want it to be more of an at-home feel.”

The coffee shop is designed for people to visit as a standalone shop and use as a waiting area while a vehicle is detailed.

There’s also a drive-thru and a separate space on a second story where people can watch TV and have coffee, work and wait.

“Originally, it was office space, but we decided to make it overflow,” Thomas said. “People can order drinks and take them up themselves, and eventually we’re planning to reserve it as a meeting room. It’s great for Bible studies and small group meetings.”

Hours for the coffee shop are 6:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. weekdays, 7:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday.

The car wash has been wrapping up construction and running test vehicles through from neighboring Subaru.

“We’re happy with it,” said Dave Dreessen, a member of the ownership group. “We’ve heard from a lot of people they’re really excited. I feel like they truly are. There are different options, which I think people like.”

All customers will drive their vehicles through the same exterior tunnel wash.

“So when you exit, you can leave and go home, or there will be free vacuums if you choose to do that, and the options for interior details are set up by lanes in the detail shop,” Dreessen said. “Those will be spelled out at the kiosk when you go up there, so you know what you’re getting for what price.”

Detailing services can take anywhere from 15 minutes to several hours depending on the package.

There’s also a self-service dog wash.

The owners recently acquired adjacent land from Subaru for extra parking and potential storage or service expansion.

Clean Ride Auto Spa will offer memberships, including some grand-opening specials, but they aren’t required for service.

“Hiring has been good,” Dreessen added. “I think we’re getting close to fully staffed, but we could use some more part-time help on weekends and late-afternoon shifts.”

Hours for the car wash will be 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily and could be extended in the summer.

While much of the customer interest has been from drive-by traffic in south Sioux Falls, Dreessen said he thinks it could be a citywide draw.

“I think people living on the east side or west side or northwest, if it’s a Saturday, they can make it a destination to come here and get their car thoroughly cleaned, as there are less options in town, and hopefully the experience they have would make it worth their time to travel over.”