New BMW dealership looks more like a resort

A putting green, movie theatre, massage chairs and golf simulator are just a few of offerings clients of BMW of Fort Myers will be able to enjoy beginning in March.

The high-end car dealership will be opening the doors to a new 52,000-square foot building equipped with the latest technology next door to the Mercedes showroom.

“We will be able to carry more inventory and be able to satisfy customer needs quicker,” said Troy Arch, the general sales manager of the BMW Center, adding that customers will be able to choose from 500 cars at any one time.

Satisfying customers will be easier, Arch said, because the new building will accommodate all types of customers and prospects.

“It will be a lot more comfortable for customers and we are the only ones in southwest Florida with a golf simulator and theatre,” Arch said.

The more than $13 million dealership will also offer wireless Internet access, private work areas, a conference room and a Bear Rock Cafe eatery.

“The cafe will have a glass opening that will look out into our shop and customers can see what the technicians are doing,” said Arch adding that the customer lounge area will also offer free coffee and snacks. “We will be able to offer a lot of different things and customers won’t feel rushed to leave.”

Nick Firrincieli, part-owner of the Bear Rock Cafe in south Fort Myers, is looking forward to offering a limited menu at BMW.

“We are very excited about being a part of it and offering a hand full of salads, sandwiches and four soups off our menu,” said Firrincieli, adding that the cafe will also offer items not on their restaurant menu such as desserts and fruit cups. “Having a cafe at BMW will introduce us to a new group of people that may not know that Bear Rock exists.”

Customers looking for more entertainment can visit the movie theatre that will play family-friendly movies on high definition, Blu Ray discs with surround sound or shop the BMW boutique.

They will be further comforted by a variety of massage chairs and LCD screens. Arch hopes to offer a once a month spa day for customers in need of a manicure, pedicure or massage. The second floor of the building will have a golf simulator in which customers will be able to spend time with a golf pro once a month.

“This is going to modernize us and create an environment that our customers are accustomed too,” said Arch from the 35-year-old BMW Center near Daniels Parkway. It will eventually be handed over to Honda after BMW moves out.

Meeting customers’ high expectations will also help BMW keep up with the car dealership competition along U.S. 41 in south Fort Myers.

“The facility will allow us to meet their needs and we will be able to do what is expected,” Arch said, adding that an additional $1.5 million has been spent on equipment to diagnose and service cars.“We will have 40 service bays that will be air conditioned and more comfortable for technicians ... the technology in the shop will be able to perform at a higher level."

The dealership is slated to host a grand opening on March 24, which will include a silent auction for the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

“We will become a destination place with the golf, theatre and work area,” Arch said. “We are sandwiched between two of the busiest intersections and most of our clients are in south Fort Myers so we can better serve their immediate needs.”