El Car Wash opens eighth Michigan site with Detroit's Mack Avenue location
The Miami-based chain adds a Mack Avenue wash to its metro Detroit network and plans two more area openings in early 2027.
By The Car Wash News Staff
3 min read
El Car Wash has opened a new location at 18155 Mack Ave. in Detroit, bringing the company's Michigan count to eight sites. A grand opening is scheduled for Oct. 10, according to reporting from Professional Carwashing & Detailing.
The Mack Avenue site continues the chain's push across metro Detroit, a market it entered in 2024 when it became the Official Car Wash of the Detroit Lions. The company says two additional metro Detroit locations are slated to open in the first quarter of 2027.
Building out the Detroit network
El Car Wash framed the Mack Avenue opening as part of a longer-term regional strategy rather than a one-off site. Chief Executive Officer and co-founder Geoff Karas called the opening an exciting milestone for the company's growth throughout metro Detroit and pointed to strong local support since the brand arrived in the market.
Karas said the company aims to bring its "fast, convenient and member-focused experience" to more Detroit drivers, and signaled intentions to keep expanding its footprint in the region. The two planned 2027 openings suggest the chain views Detroit as a market where it can support multiple clustered sites rather than testing demand with a single wash.
A fast-growing national brand
El Car Wash now operates more than 100 locations and reports roughly 550,000 members, positioning it among the faster-growing retail car wash brands in the country. The company's approach pairs geographic expansion with a membership model designed to drive repeat visits and recurring revenue.
The Detroit growth mirrors a broader pattern across the industry, where operators are entering new metro markets and building density through repeated openings in the same region. Local sports partnerships, such as the Lions tie-in, give newer entrants a way to establish name recognition quickly in an unfamiliar market.
Why it matters for operators
El Car Wash's steady Detroit build-out is a reminder that national chains increasingly cluster sites to gain operating efficiency and brand visibility in a single metro. For independent and regional operators in and around Detroit, the arrival of an eighth El Car Wash location, with two more on the way, raises the competitive stakes on membership pricing, wait times, and site convenience.
The membership numbers are worth noting. A chain reporting 550,000 members across its footprint has a recurring revenue base that can absorb the ramp-up costs of new sites and fund aggressive grand-opening promotions. Operators competing nearby should expect introductory offers and unlimited-plan marketing when the new washes open.
The sports sponsorship angle is also instructive. A local team partnership can accelerate brand awareness far faster than traditional advertising, and it is a tactic available to independents through smaller-scale community and school affiliations. Operators watching a large chain move into their territory may benefit from doubling down on local loyalty, membership retention, and service consistency before a cluster of new competitors comes online. Tracking announced future openings, like the two 2027 sites here, gives operators time to plan pricing and retention responses rather than reacting after a competitor's doors are already open.
