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Winter weather in the Upper Valley wreaks havoc on
cars and trucks when sand, salt, snow, and grit eat
away at paint jobs and make driving a very dirty
experience. Luckily, come springtime, Ed Kerrigan
plans on presenting a solution.
Jake’s Car Wash and Coffee Shop, located at 227
Mechanic Street in Lebanon, New Hampshire, is
expected to open in May. The concrete is poured and
the plans are drawn for an oasis of cleanliness and
comfort: vehicles can be made to look as good as new
while owners fuel up with hot coffee or tea and a
muffin.
“A number of car washes have closed in this
area recently, and I felt there was a need for one
here in Lebanon,” says Ed Kerrigan, owner of Jake’s
Market, also on Mechanic Street, along with two
other convenience stores in New London and Andover.
“Same idea with the coffee shop. There’s no place to
sit and meet with someone over coffee in the
morning. And to find a drive through you need to
fight the traffic in West Lebanon.”
Working with a team from Trumbull-Nelson, architect
Jay Barrett, and structural engineer Tim Shaal,
Kerrigan decided on a plan in keeping with the
spirit of downtown Lebanon. “I wanted the feel of a
traditional building, something that’s been around
for a while,” says Kerrigan. The 1,500-square-foot
car wash will be constructed out of concrete blocks
with a brick veneer and asphalt shingles. Two bays
will accommodate a touch-free laser washing system.
Touch-free means no abrasive material will come in
contact with the vehicle’s finish. “It’s great
technology,” Kerrigan says. Todd Thompson, project
manager at Trumbull-Nelson, adds that the water is
collected and filtered before being discharged.
The 1,200-square-foot coffee shop is planned as a
wood-frame building with matching asphalt shingles
and clapboard siding. While the lower floor
accommodates the seating and serving area, the
second floor will serve as offices. “I’ve been
working out of makeshift offices for the past 10
years,” says Kerrigan. “It will be nice to have a
real one!”
“It’s been really interesting to build on the past
experiences we’ve had constructing car washes,” says
Thompson. “Today people are increasingly concerned
about water consumption and energy conservation, and
the new car wash at Jake’s has been designed to take
full advantage of new technology that minimizes its
everyday impact on the environment.”
“I wanted the feel of a
traditional building, something that’s been around
for a while”
A car wash and coffee shop are not the only new
ventures Kerrigan has in mind for the property on
Mechanic Street. “We’re also planning a
12,000-square-foot retail building,” he says. “We
hope to start building in March or April. We wanted
to start sooner, but looking at the weather this
year so far it doesn’t seem likely.”
According to Thompson, the retail space will house
between four and six tenants. Kerrigan is currently
speaking with a few businesses about leasing the
space.
This isn’t the first time Kerrigan has looked to
Trumbull-Nelson for help in implementing an idea.
Trumbull-Nelson also built the Lebanon store, which
was finished in 1997, and the building that now
houses Bloemenwinkel, a flower and gift shop, right
next door. When Kerrigan decided to expand and place
markets in New London and Newbury, again he called
on Trumbull-Nelson. “They also helped out with a
residence on Riverside Drive. They’ve done most of
my construction work. I keep coming back for more
punishment!” Kerrigan jokes.
“I really enjoy working with Ed,” says Thompson.
“He’s focused on delivering value to his customers,
and is a well-educated consumer himself. I really
appreciate his high standards and his ability to
bring his visions to life.”
Keeping his business local and accessible is
important to Kerrigan. “I want to meet local needs,
to do things in a way I feel is reflective of how I
feel about this area,” he says. “I’ve been
approached by a few different franchises before, but
I think it’s important to do things the way I want
to do them, instead of following what a franchise
might dictate.”
This philosophy fits perfectly in a town like
Lebanon, which works hard to ensure that its
smalltown character remains alive and well in the
face of necessary, inevitable progress. An
establishment like Jake’s Market and, soon, Jake’s
Car Wash and Coffee Shop, are welcome sights for
community members who want to support local industry
and still need to wash or gas up their cars.
In the gray winter light, cars, minivans, plow
trucks, and delivery vans wait their turn at the gas
pumps or pause in the ample parking at Jake’s Market
while their driver runs inside to grab a sandwich.
Come springtime, both car and owner will get to
shine a little brighter after a stop at the car wash
and a cup of coffee.
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