The former Rosati's Chicago Pizza at 4629 Wieuca Road in Chastain Park will soon be demolished to make way for a car wash. Building permits filed with the City of Atlanta confirm that BamBoo Car Wash plans to open a new car wash facility on the site of the former Rosati's and the former Fabricare dry cleaners (4621 Wieuca Road) next door. Together the two parcels total just over an acre.
The site is a bit of an odd choice for a car wash as it's off the main road (Roswell Road) and as a result does not have the visibility or accessibility one might think would be important for such a business.
Georgia-based BamBoo Car Wash currently operates a pair of locations in Dawsonville and Gainesville, the former built from scratch, the latter a conversion. The company previously operated a third facility on Pleasant Hill Road in Duluth but sold the location to Mister Cash Wash (NYSE: MCW) last April. Online records also indicate that the businesses owner, Judd Hughes, previously operated the car wash facilities under the Extreme Car Wash name before adopting the BamBoo moniker.
BamBoo is like many other car wash facilities that have in recent years popped up around metro Atlanta offering a "wash club" membership, a la carte wash services, as well as offering free vacuums. The business is self-service as opposed to Avril's, a popular local business at the corner of Wieuca and Roswell Roads that offers full-service washes and detailing and has been a neighborhood mainstay for more than four decades.
Real estate sources told ToNeTo Atlanta in 2022 that there were plans for a residential project on the combined Chastain Park area parcels and it's unclear what led to the change in development plans. That said, neighbors to whom we spoke seemed less than thrilled at the prospect of having a big new car wash move in. The property sits feet away from the line separating the City of Sandy Springs from the City of Atlanta.
What are your thoughts on the planned development of BamBoo Car Wash in Chastain Park? Do you think the site makes sense for a car wash? If not, what kind of development do you think makes more sense for the site?
Please share your thoughts below.
