SYCAMORE – Need to get the dog washed but don’t have time for the vet? Zachary Siddiqui has got you covered.
Siddiqui recently opened an All Paws Pet Wash booth next to the Marathon Gas Station and the Express Wash Laundromat he owns at 1615 DeKalb Ave. in Sycamore.
“It’s very easy to use,” Siddiqui said. “It’s just like a car wash.”
The booth is large enough to hold a pet of any size. After attaching the pet’s collar to the wash table, customers can insert $5 to use any of the booth’s cleaning services for 7 minutes. Siddiqui said each additional dollar after that adds one more minute to the time.
Customers can clean their pets with three different kinds of shampoo, vacuum and dry their fur, or simply rinse them down with water.
“People who have pets know of the different kinds of needs they have,” Siddiqui said.
Keith Caldwell, the vice president of All Paws Pet Wash, described the booth his company manufactures as being ideal for people who don’t have time for an actual groomer.
“It’s a good way in-between times to go to the groomer,” Caldwell said. “It’s not like you’re taking a wet dog home.”
The booth is open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. every day. Siddiqui said the booth has air conditioning and heating, so it can be used in the summer and winter.
Outside of the DeKalb-Sycamore area, the nearest All Paws Pet Wash booth is located in Rochelle. Siddiqui said he was visiting friends when he first saw the booth, and spoke with its owners about it.
“With the research we did, it seemed like one of those good ideas,” Siddiqui said.
The startup costs were significant for Siddiqui. The booth’s electrical and water needs, in addition to the booth itself, set him back nearly $40,000. He added that operating costs are pretty low because it’s just for water and electrical.
Siddiqui said once word gets around, he’s hoping for 10 customers a day to use the booth. Right now, he estimates eight or nine people have used it since he installed it in July.
“Wait and see,” Siddiqui said about the booth’s viability.
