Big Dan's opens first Tennessee wash in Chattanooga
The Georgia-based chain launched its Volunteer State debut with a 17-day free wash promotion and a charitable donation, calling it the first of eight new sites planned within eight months.
By The Car Wash News Staff
3 min read
Big Dan's Car Wash has entered Tennessee for the first time, opening a location at 5749 Brainerd Rd. in Chattanooga on July 22. According to reporting from Professional Carwashing & Detailing, the site marks the company's initial presence in the state and the start of an aggressive regional push.
The Chattanooga wash is the first of eight new locations the company plans to open over the next eight months, according to company president Jay Shadday. The strategy is centered on building out its footprint across the Southeast while reinforcing the appeal of its unlimited membership, which lets customers use any Big Dan's location regardless of state.
Grand opening promotions
To mark the launch, Big Dan's is offering 17 days of free washes, featuring its signature package known as the Auto-Graphx5. The opening celebration runs from July 22 through the 17-day window and includes giveaways and branded merchandise.
The company is also using the event to drive membership sign-ups. Guests can join the Auto-Graphx5 Unlimited Membership for $5 per month for the first three months, an introductory rate the company says is available for a limited time. The pricing structure ties the promotional wash traffic directly to recurring revenue, a common play among express operators looking to convert opening-day visitors into subscribers.
Big Dan's partnered with several local businesses, including Chick-fil-A, Brother's Bagels and 7 Brew, to hand out treats to guests during the first days of operation.
Community giveback
The first $5,000 in proceeds from the grand opening will be donated to Siskin Children's Institute, a Chattanooga organization that supports children with special needs and their families. Chief operating officer Tripp Flournoy said the donation reflects a practice of tying new openings to local charitable support. "We believe every new location should begin by giving back," Flournoy said.
Big Dan's was launched in December 2020 by the Shadday Family Office, its principal owner. The brand now operates 27 locations, with corporate operations run from a headquarters in Rome, Georgia. The company describes its focus as customer experience, citing convenient sites, trained staff, long tunnels, free amenities, and both single-wash and unlimited membership options.
Why it matters for operators
Big Dan's opening illustrates how a mid-sized regional chain can use a single grand opening to serve multiple business goals at once. The 17-day free wash period generates trial volume and local buzz, while the $5 introductory membership converts that traffic into recurring subscribers before the free period ends. Operators planning openings can study this sequence: lead with a generous free offer, then present a low-friction membership price point while foot traffic is high.
The charitable donation and local business partnerships also show a template for entering a new market where the brand has no prior recognition. Tying the opening to a well-known local children's charity and familiar food and beverage names builds goodwill quickly and gives the community a reason to show up beyond the free wash.
The pace of expansion is notable as well. Eight locations in eight months is an ambitious cadence that depends on standardized operations, staffing, and a membership program that travels across state lines. For operators weighing multi-site growth, the cross-location membership value proposition is the connective tissue that makes rapid expansion worthwhile rather than just adding disconnected sites.
