Staff Reports
The car wash industry continues to expand and innovate with acquisitions, new openings, and renovations. Here’s a roundup of the latest news from around the industry:
Happy’s Drive-Thru Car Wash in Roseville, California, will celebrate its grand opening with free car washes April 11-13. The Roseville site marks the fifth for the franchise. Happy’s combines the convenience of an express wash with a top retail experience. For every car washed during the grand opening, Happy’s will donate $1 to Sacramento Loaves and Fishes, a local non-profit dedicated to providing meals, essential survival supplies and services for nearly 1,000 adults and children daily.
Tommy’s Express Car Wash is celebrating the grand opening of its first location in Scranton, Pennsylvania, this week. Free car washes will be available through Sunday (April 13). Tommy’s sites are known for their innovative wash tunnels that feature floor-to-ceiling windows and a transparent roof. With nearly 250 locations across North America, Tommy’s Express is ranked No. 1 in the car wash category on the Entrepreneur Franchise 500 list.
Peoria (Illinois) Journal Star readers were recently invited to vote for their favorite businesses in the 2024 Community’s Choice Awards. The winner in the car wash/detail shop category was Red Carpet Car Wash, which has two locations in Peoria. Red Carpet, locally owned and operated for over 55 years, offers multiple wash packages in full service or exterior only options. Club Car Wash and Driven Detailing were also finalists.
Tommy’s Express Car Wash is celebrating the grand opening of its newest location in El Paso, Texas, at 5704 N Mesa Street. It’s the company’s fifth location in the city. Free car washes will be available through Sunday (April 13). Tommy’s sites are known for their innovative wash tunnels that feature floor-to-ceiling windows and a transparent roof. With nearly 250 locations across North America, Tommy’s Express is ranked No. 1 in the car wash category on the Entrepreneur Franchise 500 list.
Construction has resumed on a new Tidal Wave Auto Spa location in New Hartford, N.Y., after a building permit for the site has been renewed. Construction began on the site in 2023, but because of numerous delays, the original permit eventually expired. Tidal Wave, one of the top four conveyor car washes in the country, has approximately 275 locations across more than 30 states.
M Square Commercial represented ModWash, LLC in the recent sale of a 0.97-acre car wash property located at 1554 E Silver Springs Blvd. in Ocala, Florida. The deal closed on Jan. 30, with K2 Ocala 2 LLC acquiring the site for a new car wash operation. M Square Commercial specializes in value-add dispositions, commercial property sales, and retail real estate strategy nationwide.
The Tommy’s Express Car Wash location in Rexburg, Idaho, is hosting a community event this weekend. A portion of all proceeds made today, and Saturday (April 11-12) will benefit the Family Crisis Center, a non-profit that helps victims of domestic violence and sexual assault. Guests can receive free car washes on both days as well as free food from Blisters BBQ, while supplies last. With nearly 250 locations across North America, Tommy’s Express is ranked No. 1 in the car wash category on the Entrepreneur Franchise 500 list.
Flagstop Car Wash recently completed upgrades and reopened its location at 4810 Nine Mike Rd. in Richmond, Virginia. The site now features ‘Shammy Dry’ Flagstop’s unique drying process – in its Ultimate Wash option. Flagstop was founded over 40 years ago by Bob Schrum. Jamie Nester, Craig Marable, and Derek Haynes acquired the company in 2016 and have grown Flagstop into the leading express car wash platform in the greater Richmond market.
The Palmer Township (Pennsylvania) Board of Supervisors recently approved final land development plans for a pair of new car washes in the area – a Soaring Car Wash location at 48 Kunkle Drive, and a Shammy Shine Car Wash site at 2620 Kingston Road. Plans for the Soaring site include 16 vehicle cleaning stalls with two ADA spaces. The new Shammy Shine would sit adjacent to an existing location and include an additional six wash bays.
To celebrate the site’s new ownership, the Tommy’s Express Car Wash location at 2842 S. Nellis Blvd. in Las Vegas, Nevada, will offer free car washes through April 19. Tommy’s sites are known for their innovative wash tunnels that feature floor-to-ceiling windows and a transparent roof. With nearly 250 locations across North America, Tommy’s Express is ranked No. 1 in the car wash category on the Entrepreneur Franchise 500 list.
Crew Carwash plans to begin construction on a new location in Champaign, Illinois, later this spring with an expected opening by the end of the year. The car wash will be located at 2029 N. Prospect Ave., where a former Fazoli’s restaurant is currently being demolished. Founded in 1948 by Joe Dahm, the Indiana-based Crew Carwash has around 50 locations across Indiana and Minnesota.
The Town of Newburgh (New York) has scheduled a public hearing for May 15 on a proposed project to bring a Spark Car Wash on Route 300. Since its last appearance before the board, the engineering team from Stonefield Engineering held a workshop with town consultants to discuss traffic concerns and other issues. Compliance with updated DEC wetland regulations, the town’s front-yard landscaping design guidelines, and securing bonds for stormwater and landscaping improvements are required.
Tommy’s Express Car Wash recently celebrated the grand opening of its first location in Cadillac, Michigan. Tommy’s sites are known for their innovative wash tunnels that feature floor-to-ceiling windows and a transparent roof. With nearly 250 locations across North America, Tommy’s Express is ranked No. 1 in the car wash category on the Entrepreneur Franchise 500 list.
The Fort Wayne (Indiana) City Council recently voted down a rezoning request for a new car wash location in District 4 area of the city. The plan commission had unanimously recommended the measure to be passed, but the council received numerous objections from members of the public, specifically related to noise concerns with adjacent neighborhoods. The location would have two residential neighbors and sit next to a Planet Fitness and Extra Space Storage.
After sitting vacant for several years, a former McDonald’s on Highway 43 in West Linn, Oregon, may soon be home to a new Kaady Car Wash location. Kaady, a chain of drive-thru car washes throughout the Northwest, submitted a request for a pre-application conference last month. Kaady will need to submit a conditional use permit application and undergo a Class II design review with the city. It will also need demolition and building permits.
Charlotte, N.C.-based Autobell Car Wash recently opened its third location in Summerville, S.C. Autobell debuted in the greater Charleston, S.C., market in 2016 and now has six washes there. The Summerville wash is the first to feature a new Autobell design based on the modular concept, allowing the company to utilize pre-engineered components to conform to future sites. Family-owned Autobell, celebrating 56 years in business next month, currently operates 91 sites in five states.
Mighty Shine Express Car Wash recently held a grand opening for its new location in MacArthur, West Virginia. This is the company’s second location in Raleigh County with the other in Beckley, W.V., which has been in operation nearly six years. The new car wash features a tunnel soft-touch but a touch-free as well. Vacuums are free with purchase, and monthly memberships are available.
Terrible’s, a Las Vegas-headquartered company, is planning a 15,840-square-foot retail hub – including car wash – at the southeast corner of North Porter and West Bowlin roads in Maricopa, Arizona. The new gas station would be built on a 3.55-acre lot which is currently zoned for neighborhood commercial use. The design incorporates two expansive fuel canopies, each featuring five double-sided pumps, an 800-foot car wash and 6,284 square foot convenience store.
Badger Carwash in Lampasas, Texas, has been celebrating its grand reopening this week, with the celebration concluding today (April 17). The carwash, at 105 East Avenue B, has been in operation for 25 years. Recent renovations have included a significant investment in technology and improving customer experience. The site includes a touchless automatic wash as well as a 10-bay self-service wash.
A proposed zoning change in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, that would allow an “upscale” car wash and/or drive-thru restaurant to be built by a local developer received its first reading this week. The developer is requesting the city change the zoning classification of a 4-acre part of an 11-acre parcel at 1401 Eighth Ave. from ‘mixed use commercial’ to ‘commercial shopping center.’ The current mixed-use zoning prohibits car washes and permits restaurants, but drive-thru service isn’t allowed.
G2 Express Car Wash in Villa Rica, Georgia, is hosting a celebration noon-4 p.m. ET on Saturday to mark its one-year anniversary. The event will feature food trucks, raffles, games, giveaways, and a live radio broadcast from 104.5 FM “MyCity.” Raffle prizes include a free one-month membership for unlimited car washes, custom gift basket ($125 value), and Kenmore gas grill (valued at $400). Participants do not need to be present to win.
Links Car Wash recently celebrated the grand reopening of its newest location in Largo, Florida. While the car wash facility has served the community for years, it now operates under new ownership and branding as a Links site. Car Wash. The rebrand brings a fresh focus on speed, quality, and customer experience. To celebrate the reopening, Links, based in Charlotte, N.C., will host a ‘Free Wash Frenzy’ on Friday and Saturday (April 18-19). Guests can enjoy a free Ultimate Wash.
Tommy’s Express Car Wash recently broke ground on the construction of a location in Indian Land, S.C. The site should be ready to open within eight to 12 months. Tommy’s Express is based in Holland, Michigan, and their sites are known for innovative wash tunnels that feature floor-to-ceiling windows and a transparent roof. With nearly 250 locations across North America, Tommy’s Express is ranked No. 1 in the car wash category on the Entrepreneur Franchise 500 list.
A new car wash brand – Station Auto Wash Express – is set to debut in Loudoun County, Virginia, later this month when its first site opens April 21 in Sterling, Va., in Guilford Station center. The owners are already working on a second location, which will be built at the Countryside Marketplace on Route 7 in Sterling. Station Auto Wash Express will feature a high-tech tunnel wash that includes mat washers.
Wilkinson Companies has secured a lease for a new Tommy’s Express Car Wash location in North Platte, Nebraska, on South Dewey Street. Groundbreaking for the site is scheduled for this summer, with an expected opening next spring. With nearly 250 locations across North America – including about a dozen in Nebraska – Tommy’s Express is ranked No. 1 in the car wash category on the Entrepreneur Franchise 500 list.
Sud Stop Car Wash has opened its first location in North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and third in the state, joining sites in Greenwood and Spartanburg. Sud Stop has plans for 33 locations over the next two years. To celebrate its opening in North Myrtle Beach, Sud Stop is offering a special on its Founders Club membership through May 11 that costs just $9.98 per month for the first three months.
Plans for a Tidal Wave Auto Spa location in California, Maryland, were scuttled when the operator withdrew its proposal at a recent St. Mary’s County Board of Appeals meeting. Tidal Wave had originally planned to appeal the decision by the St. Mary’s Planning Commission to reject the concept site plan. April 10 in Leonardtown. The new Tidal Wave location would have been located less than a mile away from another near-completed car wash facility.
Flagstop Car Wash has partnered with the Southern Virginia Chamber of Commerce and the Southern Virginia Community Bridge Foundation to raise money for the Future Scholars Fund, which provides scholarships to high school graduates heading to college. Fifty percent of the profits from car washes purchased through this link go directly to the fund. Flagstop, founded in 1981, has nearly 25 sites, all in Virginia.
Prestige Car Wash has purchased a site for a new location in Natick, Massachusetts, on Worcester Street. The timetable for completion has not been set. Prestige Car Wash was established in 1997 and has around 25 sites, all in Massachusetts. Prestige recently acquired five Ernie’s Car Wash locations and plans to have 34 total sites by the end of the year.
California-based car wash chain Quick Quack Car Wash will be opening a location in Universal City, Texas – a suburb of San Antonio. The site is slated to open later this summer. The 4,174 square foot location is estimated to cost about $1 million, according to a filing with the state of Texas. According to Car Wash Advisory, Quick Quack Car Wash has around 275 locations across six states – Texas, Colorado, Utah, Arizona and California.
