Tommy's Express adds sites in California, Illinois and Puerto Rico
The franchise announced a new Naperville opening plus construction of its first Chico location and its first-ever island site in San Juan, both slated for 2027.
By The Car Wash News Staff
2 min read
Tommy's Express is marking several expansion milestones across the United States and, for the first time, beyond the mainland. The international car wash franchise announced a batch of location firsts, according to reporting from Auto Laundry News.
The updates span three markets and include both a completed opening and two projects under construction. Together they underline the pace at which the brand continues to add sites and enter new territory.
Where the brand is growing
In Naperville, Illinois, Tommy's Express has opened its first location in the city, at 2928 N. Beebe Drive.
On the West Coast, construction is underway on the franchise's first site in Chico, California. That location, at 2028 Forest Avenue near a Target store, is scheduled to open in 2027.
Perhaps the most notable move is in San Juan, Puerto Rico, where the company has begun building its first location on Carr PR-176, KM 1.4. Also slated to open in 2027, the site will represent the brand's first location on an island, extending its footprint outside the continental United States.
Behind the franchise
Tommy's Express traces its roots to Quality Car Wash, founded in 1969 by Jacob, Sonny, and Tom Essenburg. The franchise is built on that 57-year operating history. Its buildings and equipment, originally developed by Tommy Car Wash Systems, are manufactured in West Michigan.
The company positions itself as offering franchisees a full support package, including training, marketing, technical assistance, and access to proprietary wash products and technology available only within the franchise system.
Why it matters for operators
Continued expansion by a large franchise brand reshapes the competitive picture in the markets it enters. Operators in Naperville now face an established national name locally, and independents in Chico and San Juan have roughly a year to prepare before the new sites open in 2027.
The Puerto Rico project is worth watching beyond its local impact. A conveyor express model that works in an island market with different logistics, real estate, and supply considerations signals that the format can travel, which could open more non-mainland markets to national brands over time. Operators evaluating their own growth plans can take note of how a large chain approaches site selection, often clustering near high-traffic retail anchors such as the Target location cited in Chico.
For independents, the practical response is the familiar one: sharpen the differentiators a national franchise cannot easily replicate, from local membership relationships to service speed and community presence. Knowing well in advance that a competitor is breaking ground gives operators time to lock in unlimited-wash members, review pricing, and reinforce retention before a new player arrives.
