NEWPORT NEWS, Va. - Imagine a car wash and theme park ride, all combined into one. That's what one Newport News business is hoping to provide to families, especially during the pandemic.
“It's lights, it's laser, it's film, it's sound,” Cool Wave Car Wash owner Bobby Willis told News 3. “This has been a culmination of 26 years of being in this industry.”
It isn't your typical car wash in Newport News.
“This is like I have three children, but this is my fourth child,” Willis said. “It's a part of me I guess you could say."
Willis and his team is getting ready to open the Cool Wave Washplex, a location he calls “a family experience” when going to get your car cleaned.
“It's basically like a theme park ride every week,” he said. “It creates a unique family experience that, during this pandemic time, there's not a whole lot to do out there.”
Willis told News 3 he has a team of people, including his own family, that develop new scripts and themes every week to give people a new experience.
“Everything that you see in there is all original content,” Willis said.
“My oldest son goes to Berklee College of Music, and he is helping us develop all of the sounds,” he added. “I've done all the voice-overs.”
He has also had help from people who have worked with well-known names in the theme park industry.
“They've worked with Disney, they've worked with Hershey Park, they've worked with other big names like that,” Willis said. “We want you to come in here and have the ultimate experience.”
Willis hopes it will help create memories for lots of families.
“I'm trying to create a segment of time in their life that they can come in, and just let it all go and enjoy it and everyone be kids,” he said.
Willis said the location is planning to open at 12095 Jefferson Avenue next week.
