Tommy's Express opens first Corona site with 10 days of free washes
The franchise's newest Southern California tunnel offers free washes from July 24 through August 2 as it courts local drivers and membership sign-ups.
By The Car Wash News Staff
3 min read
Tommy's Express has opened its first location in Corona, California, at 20328 Temescal Canyon Road, and is marking the debut with 10 straight days of free washes. According to a press release published by the International Carwash Association, the free period runs from Friday, July 24, through Sunday, August 2.
The promotion follows a playbook the franchise has used across its rapidly expanding footprint: use a free-wash window at launch to introduce the site to local drivers and convert first-time visitors into recurring members.
What the new site offers
The Corona facility carries the standard Tommy's Express building design, including the large bay windows that let waiting customers watch vehicles move through the tunnel. The wash runs on a dual-belt conveyor built to handle a range of vehicle types, and the company says a full wash takes under three minutes from entry to exit.
Outside the tunnel, the site includes free self-serve interior vacuum stations and mat washers. Customers can also sign up for the TommyClub Unlimited Wash Membership through the brand's mobile app. The membership uses license plate recognition for automatic entry and offers four wash package tiers at different price points.
Tommy's Express is a national franchise built on the history of Quality Car Wash, founded in 1969 by Jacob, Sonny, and Tom Essenburg. Its buildings and equipment are manufactured in West Michigan. The company notes it ranks first in the car wash category on Entrepreneur Magazine's Franchise 500 list and appears among the publication's fastest-growing franchises.
Why it matters for operators
The free-wash grand opening remains one of the most widely copied launch tactics in the express tunnel segment, and Tommy's Corona debut shows how a large chain executes it at scale. A 10-day free window is longer than many independent operators run, and it reflects a deliberate trade-off: giving away significant wash volume up front in exchange for trial, brand awareness, and a pipeline of membership conversions.
For operators weighing their own opening or relaunch strategy, the key lesson is that the free period is a customer acquisition cost, not just a marketing gesture. The value is captured only if the free traffic converts to unlimited plans, which is why the app-based sign-up and license plate recognition are central to the model. Making membership enrollment fast and frictionless during a high-traffic promotion is what turns a crowd of free visitors into recurring monthly revenue.
The Corona launch also underscores continued franchise expansion in competitive Southern California markets. Independent operators in growth corridors should expect more of these high-visibility openings, complete with aggressive free-wash offers that can temporarily pull price-sensitive customers away from nearby washes. Planning a retention response, whether through loyalty perks or a counter-promotion, is worth considering when a national brand opens nearby.
