Much more than a car wash: Oswego Delta Sonic set to open by summer

In need of a spot where you can get your vehicle detailed and serviced all while enjoying a pizza and beer while you wait? Well such a place is coming soon to Route 34 in Oswego.

Managers at the new Delta Sonic location at 1942 Route 34 hope to have the facility up and running by this summer, with only a few finishing touches left before it is ready to open its doors. Although part of a chain with locations in the Chicago and Buffalo, New York, areas, the local site is set to have a number of features exclusive to Oswego.

“This is one of our largest facilities to date,” said Joe Missana, district manager for Delta Sonic. Oswego was chosen for the new site thanks to heavy traffic along Route 34 and close-by big cities like Aurora and Joliet.

“It is an up-and-coming area,” Missana said.

A truly state-of-the-art facility, the site is a convenience store, restaurant, car wash, and auto service and detailing center rolled into a near dozen-acre property.

Inside the gas station portion of the site, customers can expect not only the typical snacks and refreshments, but a made-to-order pizza restaurant and sandwich shop. There’s also a self-serve checkout and drive-thru where anyone on the go can order most of the store’s items.

Those who wish to stay a little longer can enjoy a well-chilled, walk-in beer cave, then turn around and drink at an electronic gaming area just inside the main entrance.

“Where else can you go to get that kind of service?” general manager Anthony Rodriguez asked.

Just beyond the convenience store there’s even more: a car wash, servicing center and two detailing conveyor belts.

But for Delta Sonic “Super Kiss Plus” members, an exclusive, 13-stall detailing greenhouse is connected to the convenience store. Members can perform their own work on vehicles, ranging from basic vacuuming and wipe downs to paint restoration and toothpick detailing.

Although memberships usually cost $44.99 a month, Delta Sonic is offering pre-sale memberships before they open at $12.99, guaranteed through the end of the year.

As for nonmembers, a well-staffed detailing facility is right next door. Staff estimates a 10-to-12-minute wait for regular interior service, with engine cleaning and hand waxing also available.

“We do it all,” Rodriguez said. “Whatever your vehicle needs.”

Next door to the detailing line is the vehicle servicing center. Although staff can’t perform complex engine or transmission work, the center offers full alignment, suspensions, small engine work, lights and tire replacement.

Finally, Delta Sonic’s car wash facility is for staff the biggest part of the business. With “state-of-the-art” equipment, the center features automated prep machines for cars and can store up to 50,000 gallons of rainwater below the ground. And for a human touch, every vehicle is dried by hand at the end of the process.

Although the new location is nearly ready, staff said there opening process hasn’t been easy. Most of the construction took place during the COVID-19 pandemic, making the procurement of raw materials like steel very difficult.

And while hiring workers is hard for all businesses right now, staff said the hiring process has gone better than expected. All told, the facility can support up to 120 staff members in the auto department, with another 25 to 30 workers inside the convenience store at a given time.

“This is the most exciting endeavor we’ve had in our time,” Rodriguez said. “Anybody in the area we’ve talked to, they’re excited about having that business that’s a one-stop shop.”