Express Wash Concepts opens 21st Flying Ace site in Dayton

Express Wash Concepts has opened its 21st Flying Ace Express Car Wash, a new site at 2916 Linden Ave. in Dayton, Ohio. According to reporting from Professional Carwashing & Detailing, the opening extends the brand's footprint across Greater Dayton, Greater Cincinnati and Richmond, Indiana.

EWC founder and CEO John Roush framed the two metro areas as central to the chain's expansion plans, saying the company is building on an established regional presence while focusing on customer experience, team member opportunities and community investment.

Grand-opening offers and membership push

To mark the launch, the Linden Avenue location offered free Ceramic 4 Ultra signature washes, described as a $26 value, from Sept. 18 to Sept. 27, 2026. The site also promoted its Wash Smart Unlimited Club at 50 percent off for the first three months on its top wash package, a common tactic for converting grand-opening traffic into recurring subscription revenue.

The wash tied its promotions to a local cause. For every new membership sold during the celebration, Flying Ace pledged $10 to Crayons to Classrooms, a Greater Dayton nonprofit that supplies classroom materials at no cost to teachers across seven counties. A $50 gift card was also available for $25, with all proceeds from those sales directed to the same organization. Gift cards bought at the Linden Avenue site can be redeemed at any Flying Ace Express or participating EWC location.

Positioning as a local brand

Flying Ace markets itself as homegrown and locally operated, with an express model built around complimentary professional-grade vacuums, current wash equipment and a satisfaction guarantee. The brand has collected local recognition including Best of Dayton and Best of Butler County honors from the Dayton Daily News and a top carwash ranking from Dayton.com.

Why it matters for operators

The Linden Avenue opening is a useful template for how a multi-site operator turns a single grand opening into membership growth and community goodwill at the same time. The free-wash window pulls in trial traffic, while the deep three-month discount on the top unlimited plan is engineered to capture subscribers at their most receptive moment, right after they experience the wash for free.

The charity tie-in is worth noting because it links a donation directly to membership sign-ups and gift card sales rather than a flat lump-sum gift. That structure gives customers a reason to act during the promotion and gives the operator a measurable community-impact story to publicize. Making gift cards redeemable across all locations also nudges new customers toward the broader network, a subtle cross-selling move for a growing chain.

For independents watching regional consolidators expand, the takeaway is that grand openings are increasingly multi-purpose events combining trial, subscription conversion and local marketing. Operators planning a new-site launch or a milestone promotion can borrow the same playbook: pair a free-wash trial with a limited-time membership discount, attach a local cause to drive urgency, and use the launch to build brand recognition in the surrounding market.