A Sign of the Times

Carwash loses sign battle, wins community support

Carwash operator Ben Forat will have to reduce the size of his sign due to city restrictions.

It is hard to ignore a giant fiberglass hand clutching a bright yellow sponge topped by a life-size replica of a 1957 hot pink Corvette towering over Ventura Boulevard in Studio City, Calif. Customers sure couldn't miss it, as business tripled at Studio City Hand Car Wash from the moment the extraordinary 26-foot-tall sign was erected two years ago, pulling the wash from near bankruptcy.

Unfortunately for operator Ben Forat, however, Los Angeles city officials couldn't help but notice either--notice that the sign stood 6 feet higher and 8-and-a-half feet closer to the street than allowed by law. And so began the battle that would keep Forat in and out of courtrooms and the pages of the L.A. Times and cost him close to $100,000.

On March 20, Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge David Yaffe threw out Forat's civil suit seeking to keep the sign as-is. After considering an appeal, Forat finally decided it was time to let go and move on. He agreed to move the sign back from the street and decrease its size, replacing the 88-square-foot fiberglass sponge with a 50-square-foot sponge, a project expected to cost him $26,000. But to Forat, the experience was in many ways a victory.

"They won, but it's OK. We won, too," he says.

Studio City Hand Car Wash maintains the upper hand because of the immense support the wash received from the public over the course of the struggle. More than 2,000 signatures were collected in favor of the sign and more than 30 supporters showed up to a city meeting on the matter. People have been calling and visiting from cities throughout California, Forat says, to let him know they are glad someone is standing up to the red tape.

"Even the people who are trying to prosecute me are saying they like the sign and wish they wouldn't have to come after me," he says. "Because of the sign, I have achieved my goals. What I wanted to do was bring some life to the place...and bring customers. The public is on our side, and we are happy for that."

Forat plans to throw a party on the day the sign is altered to thank the community for all its support. Customers will be invited to come in for a free carwash and a piece of the sponge that has been soaking up the limelight in this city of stars for months.

Behind the headlines

Why all this fuss over a sign? Many people may have been surprised at the intensity with which Forat pursued the matter, at one point telling the L.A. Times, "[The sign] is never, ever, ever, ever, ever going to come down or be moved until every other sign on Ventura Boulevard has come down."

What was not set in ink in many of the papers was the history of a carwash that was built on honor. Forat was born in Iran and lived in England, Italy and Germany before moving to California with his family 24 years ago. Hossein Forat, Forat's father, decided to buy property on Ventura Boulevard and open up a hand carwash in 1990, the first of its kind in the area. Shortly following the wash's opening, the economy took a turn for the worse and the business was failing. Forat, his father and his brother, Bruce, had invested close to $3 million in the property, and the cars weren't coming. Hossein passed away shortly after the business opened. Before he died, Forat promised him he would keep the carwash running.

"I made him a promise. I would never file bankruptcy and shame his name," Forat says. "He was from the old school, and I have a lot of pride in him and what he stood for."

For seven years, Forat did everything he could to keep the business on its feet, all to no avail. Just when he was ready to let the business fold, the idea for the sign hit him. The carwash's main downfall was its location, tucked away on a curve along Ventura Boulevard, some distance from the street of fast-moving traffic. What better solution than a gigantic, eye-grabbing sign? A family friend who helped finance the business, aware of the carwash's dire situation, loaned Forat $50,000 to find a solution to the problem.

The sign that now stands was the product of the collaborative efforts of a number of Forat's friends and customers. Forat came up with the idea for the giant hand and delegated the task of its creation to sculptor Gagik Daniel, who spent about six months building it. Celebrity Tim Allen came up with the sponge idea, and suggested it to Forat on one of his frequent trips to the wash which is located down the street from the television studio. A classic car to top it all off was the inspiration of Forat's friend, Quinn Monahan.

After nine months of construction, the project was complete. Studio City Hand Car Wash had a landmark on its hands, keeping with a state tradition paved by such favorites as the Brown Derby, The Big Donut and Tail of the Pup. It didn't take long for the public to respond, and in much the same fashion as the sign--big time.

Car care for the rich and famous

Ice-T (left) and Ben Forat.

A giant sign is sure to draw a crowd. But add a team of dedicated employees, a top-notch hand wash and detail service, gourmet coffee and Krispy Kreme Doughnuts and you will be surprised at the people who will show up--especially if you happen to be in Studio City, Calif.

Forat and his team have scrubbed the bumpers of stars such as Tony Curtis, Ed Begley Jr., Jennie Garth, Ice Cube, Ice-T, Snoop Dog, the Wayan Brothers, Al B. Sure and Eric Estrada. Forat says he is honored these and all of his customers choose to visit his carwash over the competition.

He recalls one particular afternoon when he was washing a customer's Rolls Royce. In conversation, he discovered she was an interior designer who had worked for kings and queens around the world. As he was vacuuming, he found an envelope holding about $8,000 on the floor of the car. He returned it to her only to find she hadn't known it was missing. He refused to accept her tip, but says it always feels good when celebrities come through his wash and recognize his commitment to service.

Ice-T recently paid the wash a visit in response to the controversy surrounding the sign. He had seen the wash on the news and wanted to give Forat "props" for putting up a good fight.

For Forat, the secret to a quality hand carwash is the employees. Studio City Hand Car Wash has 40 employees, and Forat says they are all artists.

"They are just amazing. They can do anything. They can build you a castle. Every one of my employees is so talented," he says.

Forat's staff plays a large part in the success of his detail service, which includes interior shampoo, polish and clay wax and leather and vinyl treatment. Finding quality people has not been a problem for Forat.

"Good people find good people. [We have] good employees, good ownership and good customers," he says.

One employee, known around the wash as Picasso, is currently working on a mural to cover the whole building. The theme will be California, and it will bring together depictions of San Francisco, Santa Barbara, Hollywood, Santa Monica Pier, Universal Studios and Studio City Hand Car Wash in celebration of the state and the strength of the community.

According to Forat, Studio City is a place of happy people. He could not be more pleased with the community, which he tries to serve whenever opportunity arises. For Saint Patrick's Day this year, Studio City Hand Car Wash offered free carwashes to anyone having something associated with the color green. Customers came in sporting everything from green eyes to the last name of Green.

The carwash is also the local elementary school's biggest sponsor, recently donating about $2,000 to the school. A number of the local schools awarded Studio City Hand Car Wash plaques of appreciation, and one even put a signed picture of the carwash in its yearbook.

The carwash has raised money for a number of causes over the years, including Kosovo refugees and the homeless. On charity days, the carwash gives 100 percent of its profits to the organization it is aiding. Forat will often match the dollar amount raised for the day out of his own pocket.

Musician by night

Like many Studio City dwellers, Forat found his start in the entertainment industry. He and his brother entered the music electronics business 19 years ago. The two are inventors, Forat says, creating musical instruments from computers. Today, their company provides mixers, drum machines and samplers, among other things, to a wide array of artists. Past clients include Def Leppard, Chicago, Rod Stewart and Madonna.

In 1996, Forat Music was formed. The brothers recently finished construction of a recording facility in Studio City and will soon be releasing an album of their own called B and B Electric Music Factory with artist, Jenna Sweet. Forat says he has managed to strike a balance between his two seemingly unrelated businesses.

"As a smart artist, I work during the day and play at night," he says.

Many of the entertainers Forat works with daily in his music business are also carwash customers. He plans to give out free copies of his new CD on the day his sign is temporarily dismantled.

A man recently came into the carwash after closing time and told Forat he loved the sign and appreciated what the wash stood for. Forat was flattered and offered the man a free carwash, which the man declined. When Forat asked why, the man said he didn't have a car. He had taken the bus from a nearby city to let Forat know of his appreciation.

"His name is Vincent. I will never forget his name. What a compliment," says Forat.

One Studio City resident wrote, in response to an article in the L.A. Times, "Let's keep the sign, which brightens a nondescript stretch of Ventura Boulevard, and which would not be replaced, I suspect, with anything other than more undistinguished advertising clutter."

The success of Studio City Hand Car Wash has not only delighted customers from around California but has brought a number of surrounding businesses back to life. While Forat must comply with the law and alter the sign, the spirit of brightening an otherwise-nondescript stretch of Ventura Boulevard is one thing that won't be removed from the wash any time soon.

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