El Car Wash adds second Novi site in Metro Detroit push
The chain's newest Michigan location brings its state count to seven, with another Detroit site slated to open in late September.
By The Car Wash News Staff
3 min read
El Car Wash has opened its second location in Novi, Michigan, at Novi Town Center, extending its Michigan footprint to seven sites. The move continues the chain's build-out across Metro Detroit, a market it entered in 2024 when it became the Official Car Wash of the Detroit Lions.
According to reporting from Auto Laundry News, the company opened the second Novi site in response to strong local demand and plans further growth in the region. An additional Detroit location is expected to open in late September.
Building density in a target market
The decision to add a second store in a single suburb points to a deliberate clustering strategy rather than spreading thin across new territory. CEO and co-founder Geoff Karas said the added Novi site lets the company serve more customers while building density where demand is highest. He tied the expansion to a broader approach he described as "disciplined expansion, strong site selection" and a consistent customer experience.
Karas also credited that consistency with driving membership growth month after month. El Car Wash now operates more than 100 locations and counts more than 550,000 members across its network.
The Metro Detroit push began with the Lions sponsorship in 2024, a marketing entry point that gave the brand regional visibility ahead of its physical rollout. The company has signaled it intends to keep adding sites in the area for years to come.
Why it matters for operators
El Car Wash's move illustrates a clustering playbook that carries lessons for operators of any size. Rather than chasing scattered greenfield sites, the chain is doubling up in a suburb where it already sees demand. Density lowers marketing and operations costs per site, makes memberships more valuable to customers who can wash at multiple nearby locations, and raises the barrier for competitors trying to enter the same market.
The membership figure is the number to watch. With 550,000 members across roughly 100 sites, recurring revenue is the engine behind the expansion, and adding stores in the same trade area gives existing members more reason to keep paying. Operators weighing where to put their next location should note the emphasis on site selection discipline: putting a second store near a proven performer can be lower risk than opening in an unproven market.
The Lions sponsorship is also worth noting as a market-entry tactic. A regional partnership built brand awareness before the first location opened, softening the ground for the physical rollout that followed. For independents, the takeaway is not the price tag of a pro sports deal but the principle of establishing local recognition ahead of a build-out, whether through community ties, local media, or targeted promotions.
As large multi-site chains continue to consolidate strong suburban markets, single-site and small-chain operators in growth corridors like Metro Detroit should expect more competition for prime real estate and for the membership dollars that make express washing profitable.
