The Wash Tub converts San Antonio site to express wash format

The Wash Tub has reopened its Austin Highway site in San Antonio as an express car wash, converting a former full-service location into a tunnel-based operation aimed at speed and convenience. The new store sits at 1250 Austin Highway and marks the family-owned company's move into the express segment.

According to reporting from Car Wash Business Center, the converted site, branded The Wash Tub Express Car Wash, offers three-minute washes, complimentary vacuums, and self-service amenities including towels, window cleaner, and compressed air guns. Customers can buy single washes or sign up for unlimited memberships.

From full service to express

The Austin Highway location previously ran as a full-service The Wash Tub store before being rebuilt around the express model. The shift reflects a broader industry pattern of operators retooling labor-heavy full-service sites into faster, lower-staff express tunnels that move more cars per hour and lean on subscription revenue.

Existing members of The Wash Tub can use the new express location at no extra charge, a detail that points to the company integrating the express format into its current membership structure rather than running it as a separate program. CEO Giovanni Vizza framed the opening as giving guests "another convenient way to care for their vehicles."

To mark the grand opening, the company is running in-store promotional offers and inviting local customers to try the wash and learn about membership options. The announcement also credited vendor partners Dealer Industries, Sonny's, and DRB Systems for support in bringing the site online.

A South Texas operator expanding its model

Founded in 1986, The Wash Tub is a family-owned car wash and detailing company serving communities across South Texas. The chain operates 24 locations and has recently been active in community programs, including free washes for teachers and military veterans and a donation to flood relief in Kerr County.

The addition of an express format signals the company is diversifying its offerings beyond its traditional full-service and detailing roots. Rather than opening greenfield express sites, The Wash Tub is starting by converting existing real estate it already controls, a lower-risk path to testing the model in its home market.

Why it matters for operators

Converting a full-service site to express is one of the more consequential decisions a regional chain can make, and The Wash Tub's move offers a case study worth watching. Full-service conversions carry real tradeoffs: operators trade higher per-car service revenue and add-on detailing for throughput, lower labor costs, and recurring membership income. The success of such a shift usually hinges on whether the existing customer base accepts the change and whether the site's traffic counts support a volume model.

The decision to let current members use the express location at no additional cost is notable. It removes friction for loyal customers during the transition and helps seed the new site's membership base from day one, but it also means the company must manage how a unified membership spans two very different service formats.

Operators weighing a similar conversion should study pricing alignment across formats, labor reallocation for displaced full-service staff, and how to message the change so longtime full-service guests do not feel downgraded. Starting with owned real estate, as The Wash Tub did, limits capital exposure while the operator learns whether the express model performs in a given trade area.