A new business scheduled to come downtown in October will wash your car – and your dog.

Orbit is the name of the car-wash/dog-bathing and grooming service, and owner Lane Leach is planning to add a cafe next spring.

“The car wash is going to make up the vast majority of the business,” Leach said. “It’s an express hand wash of the outside of your car with sheepskin mittens, and you’ll be out of there in three to five minutes.”

Orbit is located in an old gas station that began construction in 1959 on the corner of Ninth and T streets. The gas station didn’t last long, and the space most recently housed an auto shop.

When construction is completed, a retro-styled sign and lighting effects will highlight the building.

Leach said cars will be taken via conveyor belt through the washing station, without the drivers having to leave them. Once the hand-washing is done, final spot-free rinse, wax and drying will be automatically applied.

Four bays will allow people to wash their own cars, complete with vacuum cleaners and car-washing wands.

All soaps used are environmentally friendly, and the runoff drains into two 1,500-gallon collection tanks that clarify the water, pre-treating it by removing dirt and other contaminants before letting it flow to the city’s sewage system.

“The express wash is the most popular trend in car washes, and we don’t have anything like it in downtown,” Leach said. “People who want the full car wash – I’d say they should go to Harv’s, but maybe they’ll do that once a month. We’re here for when people want to have the exterior get a high-quality wash, maybe two to three times per month.”

Dog grooming will be another facet of the business, and Leach said professional groomers will be hired, but there will also be bathing stations for dogs where the owners can wash them themselves.

When the cafe is added next spring, it will be called Tasty Wellness, and it will have a menu including rotisserie chicken, organic produce and other healthy food items. Juices will be squeezed on-site.

Leach said he thinks the business will appeal to many of the local residents, and he expects to draw repeat customers to make it succeed.

“We want to give a quality, fast, efficient hand wash, but quality is the key,” Leach said.