When Mike Huggins and his wife, Lenka Juchelkova, take on a new venture, they really go deep “into the rabbit hole,” according to Huggins.
As the Arvada, Colorado, couple builds their businesses, of course they use the best equipment, latest approaches and top-notch supplies. But they also strive to infuse each business with their philosophy that human interaction is what really makes the difference.
Whether it’s Glo Car Wash or one of their award-winning craft cocktail bars, for Huggins, Juchelkova and their teams, taking it to the top means meticulously creating a culture that brings guests back again and again.
And for Huggins, the inspiration for that culture comes from a long history in the car wash industry.
With generations of car wash experience in his family, Huggins was immersed in the industry as a child. His grandfather built his first car wash in inner city Detroit. His father operates two exterior car washes in Detroit. His uncle also owns a Michigan car wash.
Huggins even spent his high school years opening three different washes with his brother-in-law. And then, he headed to Colorado and hooked up with the Car Wash Express group, developing and managing properties for them before finally opening Glo in 2006.
“I’ve been going to [car wash] conventions ever since I was a kid,” Huggins said. “I always dreamed of having my own car wash at some point. I tried to learn as much as I could.”
He credits his current success to working with industry veterans Robert Hodge and John Oppenheimer. “John became my mentor for all aspects of entrepreneurship, not just car wash,” he said.
After opening Glo, Huggins and Juchelkova’s first restaurant venture came five years later when the owner of a struggling local bar and restaurant approached them. “He was the guy who brokered the land deal for the car wash and saw the relationships we had built with the city and community in developing the car wash,” Huggins said. Combining Juchelkova’s restaurant expertise and Huggins’ entrepreneurial drive, they revitalized Arvada Tavern, drawing from its post-Prohibition history.
“It was a very classy joint in that time,” Huggins said. He said that as they set out to recreate what the tavern was in the 30s and 40s, craft cocktails were becoming a new thing. And while it didn’t happen overnight, the couple drove the Arvada Tavern to be one of best cocktail bars in Colorado. “It really plays into its own story,” Huggins said.
Union Lodge No. 1 followed, and then Kline’s Beer Hall. Later this summer, they’ll open Tatarian, another bar offering their lively trademark craft cocktail experience.
Are there similarities between running a car wash and a bar? Huggins is quick to say yes. Staff training at Glo point toward what it’s like in a restaurant. “We want to provide human interaction,” he said. “Sure, we’re very geeky and have the best of the best equipment, but most of our pride hangs on building relationships with our guests and trying to make that interaction as in depth and meaningful as possible.”
Many people consider an express wash as a way to minimize the amount of labor. Huggins sees it differently. “You’ve got to create a team and interact with customers person-to-person rather than person-to-machine,” he said. “One thing I’ve always preached is to deliver a high level of customer service as human beings.”
He said many car washes see their service as a commodity.
Just like a restaurant, it’s not a necessity in someone’s life. “Some people forget about that,” Huggins said. “That’s where we try to focus — that elevated experience, making sure guests feel good about getting their car washed!”
To say the couple keeps busy is an understatement. Juchelkova and her team handle the accounting for all five businesses and Huggins tries to stop in at each business every day. “We do have a head of operations,” he said. “And that helped us out in getting our lives back.”
“Losing a key player keeps me up at night,” Huggins said, sharing that he couldn’t sleep for months when they lost a general manager who had elevated Arvada Tavern from aspiring new player to being nationally recognized for its cocktail programs.
“We compete to be the best employer in both industries,” he said, adding that they will move an employee between industries if that’s where their passions lie.
Whether customers pop into Glo for a quick car wash or check out Union Lodge No. 1 for an unforgettable cocktail, they are guaranteed to have an experience that will leave them looking forward to a return visit.
