Wine tasting. Jewelry shopping. Golfing. These activities probably aren't what come to mind when you're planning a visit to a car dealership. But if you're fortunate enough to live near one of these dealerships, you can do those things, and more.
Newport Lexus. The draw: in-store boutique and art gallery. Newport Lexus, located in the coastal community of Newport Beach, California, has an in-store boutique that sells things you'd expect to find in an upscale shopping mall, not a car dealership. The Newport Lexus Boutique stocks Tommy Bahama clothing, Oakley sunglasses, scented candles, jewelry and Sligo golf gear. Once guests have finished shopping, they can pay a visit to the Newport Lexus Art Gallery, located upstairs from the boutique. The gallery has been home to several Salvador Dali art exhibits, and is currently showing the work of local photographer John Connell.
Longo Toyota. The draw: Verizon Wireless store. Longo Toyota in El Monte, California, is one of the world's largest car dealerships and has among its stores a full-service Verizon Wireless location. It offers shoppers the same services as any stand-alone Verizon wireless store and is staffed by Verizon employees. Visitors can charge phones, purchase accessories and even upgrade services. The in-dealership Verizon store is the first such in the nation and is located on the dealership's showroom floor. Not far from the Verizon store is the dealership's Starbucks.
JM Lexus. The draw: rooftop putting green. A few miles north of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, is JM Lexus, the world's number-one Lexus dealer by volume. Sitting atop the dealership's three-story service center is the JM Lexus Putting Green, a nine-hole mini golf course that is open year round. The 3,200-square-foot course was designed to make players feel like they're out on the greens, and with ground variations built into the course to make it more challenging. Thanks to floodlights, golfers can work on their short game even after the sun goes down. The dealership supplies golf balls and putters, and when guests are finished golfing, they can go downstairs to the in-dealership relaxation room and take advantage of full-body electric massage chairs.
Rick Case Honda. The draw: barbershop. Another Florida dealership, Rick Case Honda, counts a barbershop among its guest amenities. Franco's Barbershop has a loyal following, and consistently earns high online reviews. The barbershop employs two full-time barbers and is open Tuesday through Saturday. The barbershop isn't the only unexpected service offered in the sprawling 600,000-square-foot dealership. The Davie, Florida, dealership has an eight-pump gas station with discounted gas for shoppers who've purchased cars at the dealership. And because a County Clerk of Courts Office is located within Rick Case Honda, drivers can pay traffic tickets at the Honda dealer, get a copy of their driving history or even apply for a marriage license.
Frank Kent Cadillac. The draw: wine store. Frank Kent Cadillac in Fort Worth, Texas, has a full-fledged wine store built into its showroom. Cadillac Wines opened its doors in 2012 and has quickly become one of the nation's top sellers of both the Opus One and Quintessa wines. In addition to selling roughly 2,400 bottles of wine per month, Cadillac Wines has just as quickly become a destination for local wine lovers. The in-dealership wine store regularly hosts wine tasting functions, and flies in some of the world's leading wine experts to host the events. Need new stemware to serve your recently purchased wine? Cadillac Wines sells that, too.
