Tommy's Express starts building second Oshkosh wash on former Applebee's site

Tommy's Express has begun construction on a second car wash in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, converting a former Applebee's restaurant property into an express tunnel facility. The site, at 1700 S. Koeller St., is scheduled to open in 2027, according to reporting from the International Carwash Association.

The project marks continued growth for the Holland, Michigan based franchise, which has built its brand around a recognizable building design and proprietary wash equipment manufactured in West Michigan. The company reuses a defunct sit-down restaurant parcel, a redevelopment pattern that has become common across the express wash sector as operators target high-visibility commercial corners with existing traffic access.

What the new site will offer

The Oshkosh location will carry the standard Tommy's Express format. Large bay windows are designed to let customers watch vehicles move through the wash on a dual-belt conveyor built to handle different vehicle types. The company says the wash cycle runs in under three minutes from entry to exit.

Outside the tunnel, the site will include free self-serve interior vacuum stations and mat washers. Customers can enroll in the TommyClub Unlimited Wash Membership through the brand's mobile app, and license plate recognition technology allows members automatic entry. The membership offers four customizable wash package tiers.

Tommy's Express is built on the history of Quality Car Wash, founded in 1969 by Jacob, Sonny, and Tom Essenburg. Its building and equipment were originally developed by Tommy Car Wash Systems. The franchise has been ranked first in the car wash category on Entrepreneur Magazine's Franchise 500 list and cited among the publication's fastest-growing franchises.

Why it matters for operators

The Oshkosh groundbreaking is another data point in a familiar competitive story: franchised express chains continuing to plant flags in mid-sized markets, often by acquiring and redeveloping former restaurant and retail parcels. Independent operators in and around growing Wisconsin markets should track where these builds land, since a new branded tunnel with an aggressive unlimited membership push can reshape local pricing expectations quickly.

Several elements of the Tommy's model are worth noting for any operator benchmarking their own site. The reliance on app-based enrollment and license plate recognition for frictionless member entry reflects where customer retention strategy is heading across the segment. Membership programs with tiered package options and automatic recognition reduce transaction friction and lock in recurring revenue, which is the metric that increasingly drives valuations and site profitability.

The two-year timeline from groundbreaking to a planned 2027 opening is also a reminder of the lead times involved in new tunnel construction. Operators weighing expansion or defensive site acquisition have a window before this location comes online, but the announcement itself signals intent to grow the brand's Oshkosh footprint. Watching where a national franchise commits capital can help independents decide whether to accelerate their own membership and loyalty efforts, sharpen service speed, or differentiate on factors a standardized franchise format does not emphasize.